Utilizing Memory-Related Psychological Concepts in User Experience
In this article, we’ll explore three powerful psychological concepts related to memory and apply them to user experience to help you design better experiences.
Anticipation
Individuals feel more positive when looking forward to an event and recalling it than during the actual event. Humans have a natural tendency towards optimism and expect favorable outcomes. As a result, the positivity experienced before and after an event exceed the feelings experienced during the event, mainly due to the gap between our expectations and reality.
Anticipation applied to UX
Kickstarter creates anticipation through crowdfunding campaigns where users can back upcoming projects and look forward to their launch. The progress bars and countdowns add to this sense of anticipation.
Netflix uses trailers and teasers to build anticipation for upcoming series and films. They also announce new additions to their platform in advance, generating excitement among users.
Spotify creates anticipation by offering personalized playlists like “Discover Weekly” and “Release Radar.” These features make users look forward to new music based on their preferences, enhancing engagement.
Uber uses real-time tracking and provides an estimated arrival time for drivers, building anticipation as the user waits for their ride. This adds an element of excitement to a routine task.
Rosy Retrospection
Our memories after an event lean towards positivity, a concept known as the rosy retrospection. We tend to remember past events more positively after they have occurred. This dynamic is often due to our selective recall of positive moments and the fading of negative ones. This post-event positivity can further enhance the perceived enjoyment compared to the actual experience.
Rosy Retrospection applied to UX
Instagram is built around capturing and sharing positive experiences. As users scroll through their posts over time, the application is a repository of positive memories, likely enhancing their retrospection.
Facebook Memories bring back posts from past years, prompting users to recall those moments with a potential bias towards the positive aspects.
On AirBNB, users often leave reviews after their travels. The time gap between the experience and the review may lead to rosy retrospection, where negative aspects fade, and positive memories remain.
Google Photos’ “Rediscover this day” feature, which shows photos from the same day in past years, can induce a sense of nostalgia and foster a positive retrospective view of past events.
Peak-End Rule
In our emotional response to events, anticipation and memory often overshadow the event. The peak-end rule suggests the most intense moments and the end of an experience influences our memory of an event. Even when the event falls short of our expectations or has unpleasant moments, our memories often focus on the positive parts, thus positively impacting our recollection.
The pattern of heightened positivity before and after events provides valuable insights into human decision-making and well-being. Understanding this pattern could help develop strategies to enhance user experience by increasing anticipatory pleasure and fostering positive retrospection.
Peak-End Rule applied to UX
Duolingo uses gamification techniques to create ‘peak’ moments of achievement, like earning badges or moving up a level. The end of each lesson also concludes with positive reinforcement, adhering to the peak-end rule.
In Headspace’s guided meditation sessions, the peak moments are often the meditation practices themselves, which provide users with a sense of calm and focus. The sessions end with uplifting messages, ensuring a positive end experience.
In LinkedIn Learning courses, the peak moments could be the learning content and interactive quizzes. The end experience often includes receiving a certificate of completion, providing a positive conclusion to the learning process.
These optimistic distortions bring warmth and positivity to our lives, even though reality may often be less colorful than our anticipation or memory.
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