Psychology & Decisions
Cognitive biases and effects that shape the decisions of users and teams.
Miller's Law: 7 ± 2, chunking and good menu structures
The famous 7 ± 2 is often misquoted. What Miller's Law really says and how to structure content so it sticks.
Zeigarnik Effect: Why unfinished tasks stay on your mind
Open tasks do not let us go. What is behind the Zeigarnik Effect, how robust it is and how websites can use it fairly.
Von Restorff Effect: What stands out is remembered
A red element among grey ones is seen instantly and remembered longer. How the Von Restorff Effect works and why it only works sparingly.
Solomon's Paradox: Why You Decide More Wisely for Others Than for Yourself
Solomon's Paradox explains why we judge other people's problems more wisely than our own. With the Grossmann and Kross study, the principle of self-distancing, and concrete rules for your website.
The Paradox of Choice: Why More Options on Your Website Mean Less Revenue
The paradox of choice explains why visitors faced with too many options decide nothing at all. With the jam experiment, the limits of the effect, and concrete rules for navigation, pricing pages, and forms.
The Peak-End Rule: What Visitors Really Remember About Your Website
The peak-end rule explains why people judge experiences by their peak and their ending, not by the average. With Kahneman's experiments and concrete rules for checkout flows, contact forms, and farewell pages.