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Home ›› Psychology and Human Behavior

Psychology and Human Behavior

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The Psychology of Defaults: How Pre-Selected Options Influence Behavior

  • Behavioral Design, Design Ethics, Ethical UX Series, Psychology and Human Behavior, User Psychology, UX Design

Find out how pre-selected options silently shape decisions, and what ethical designers must do about it.

Article by Tushar Deshmukh
IDEAS IN BRIEF
The Psychology of Defaults: How Pre-Selected Options Influence Behavior
  • The article argues that defaults quietly guide user decisions through inaction, making them far more powerful than most designers realize.
  • It highlights that they work by exploiting natural human tendencies like status quo bias and the assumption that pre-selected options are “recommended.”
  • The piece emphasizes that ethical design doesn’t eliminate defaults but uses them transparently, with user intent and easy reversibility at the core.
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5 min read

The Cortex-First Approach: Why UX Starts Before the Screen

  • Cognition, Design Psychology, Psychology, Psychology and Human Behavior, User Experience, User Research, UX Design

Explore why psychology, not pixels, decides whether users flow effortlessly or freeze in confusion, and how understanding cognition changes everything about UX design.

Article by Tushar Deshmukh
IDEAS IN BRIEF
The Cortex-First Approach: Why UX Starts Before the Screen
  • The article explains why UX design fails when it ignores what users’ brains are already doing before they even see the interface or click the first button.
  • The piece shows how aligning design with users’ mental models and emotional states creates effortless experiences, while violating them causes hesitation even in “perfect” interfaces.
  • It outlines the Cortex-First approach, showing how great UX starts by understanding cognitive patterns, emotional responses, and subconscious expectations rather than visual aesthetics.
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6 min read

The Psychology of Trust in AI: Why “Relying on AI” Matters More than “Trusting It”

  • AI in UX, Artificial Intelligence, Cognition, Human-AI Interaction, Human-Centered Design, Psychology, Psychology and Human Behavior, User Research, UX Design

Trusting AI isn’t the goal — relying on it is. This article explores why human trust and AI reliance are worlds apart, and what UX designers should focus on to make AI feel dependable, not human.

Article by Verena Seibert-Giller
IDEAS IN BRIEF
The Psychology of Trust in AI: Why “Relying on AI” Matters More than “Trusting It”
  • The article argues that “reliance,” not “trust,” is the right way to think about users’ relationship with AI.
  • It explains that human trust and AI reliance are driven by different psychological mechanisms.
  • The piece highlights that predictability, transparency, and control make users more willing to rely on AI.
  • It concludes that users don’t need to trust AI as a partner — only rely on it as a dependable tool.
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4 min read

Designing the Invisible between humans and technology: My Journey Blending Design and Behavioral Psychology

  • Artificial Intelligence, Cognition, Design Psychology, Human-Centered AI, Human-Computer Interaction, Interaction Design, Psychology and Human Behavior, UX Design

Designing for AI goes beyond buttons and screens; it’s about building invisible connections of trust, understanding, and psychology between humans and technology.

Article by Anina Botha
IDEAS IN BRIEF
Designing the Invisible between humans and technology: My Journey Blending Design and Behavioral Psychology
  • The article explores the shift from designing visible interfaces to shaping invisible psychological connections between humans and AI.
  • It emphasizes that trust, reliability, and understanding are more critical design challenges than traditional UI or UX elements.
  • The piece argues that AI design is less about predefined flows and more about building relationships grounded in psychology and human behavior.
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4 min read

Unveiling the Influence of Cognitive Biases on Design Decision-Making

  • Design, Human factors, Psychology and Human Behavior

Navigating the Creative Landscape.

Article by Adri Mukund
IDEAS IN BRIEF
Unveiling the Influence of Cognitive Biases on Design Decision-Making
  • The article explores the influence of cognitive biases on design decision-making, outlining various types of biases and offering strategies for mitigating their impact to foster inclusivity and objectivity in design processes.
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6 min read

​6 Ways to Improve Psychological AI Apps and Chatbots

  • Artificial Intelligence, Generative AI, Psychology and Human Behavior

Repetitiveness, complicated setups, and lack of personalization deter users.

Article by Marlynn Wei
IDEAS IN BRIEF
​6 Ways to Improve Psychological AI Apps and Chatbots
  • Personalized feedback, high-quality dynamic conversations, and a streamlined setup improve user engagement.
  • People dislike an overly scripted and repetitive AI chatbot that bottlenecks access to other features.
  • Tracking is a feature that engages users and develops an “observer mind,” enhancing awareness and change.
  • New research shows that users are less engaged in AI apps and chatbots that are repetitive, lack personalized advice, and have long or glitchy setup processes.
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3 min read
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