Heuristics Over Rationality

#human-nature

When people make rational decisions, we can predict their behaviors with a high degree of certainty. B.J. Fogg described the 6 elements of simplicity as ways to influence behaviors, or predict them:

  1. Time
  2. Money
  3. Physical effort
  4. Brain cycles
  5. Social deviance
  6. Non-routine

In Econ 101, supply & demand are taught in a way that when price goes down, purchasing goes up. With this analogy in mind, we'd expect that when ability goes up (from a greater level of simplicity) more people will perform the behavior.

That's not always the case. There's always exceptions because we don't always act in rational ways. Nir Eyal suggests "companies can boost users' motivation or increase their ability by understanding heuristics — the mental shortcuts we take to make decisions and form opinions." Heuristics MOC|Heuristics are a better predictor of actions. Understanding them deeply is a way to integrate directly into the patterns of thought that influence consumers.

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