Essays
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Preferences are Strange
There’s a lot of confusion about preferences and why we care about them. Here are five important reminders when thinking about preferences: You can’t measure actual preferences There’s no direct measure for preferences, so we have to use a variety of methods to elicit preferences. Perhaps the strongest way to elicit preferences is to…
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Contextual Alerts & Hot Triggers
We need context to justify an action. Providing users with context in an alert will increase the likelihood of action. Mint Rise Booking.com Galley (meal delivery) Jawbone United Airlines Amazon SFO Road Crossing
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Consistency & Self-Identity
We like to act in a manner consistent with our identity. Reminding users of their identity, whether in the past, present, or future, can can increase the likelihood of action. Wikipedia Yale Betterment Runkeeper Jawbone
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Information Gaps
We don’t like gaps between what informations exists and what we know. Prompting users with the existence of knowledge that they want to know can drive behavior to close the gap. Facebook Mint Airbnb Email to prompt users to write a review after their host has reviewed them
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Active Choice
We often avoid decisions if we’re not required to make them. Requiring users to make a choice can increase the chance that they’ll consider the options more carefully. New York State Driver’s License Form United Airlines