Interdependence Theory: An S-Tier Behavioral Designer’s Guide
Two players sit down at a table, each with two buttons. The buttons don’t cost anything to press.…
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The Blog
Ideas on motivation, behavior & design.
Deep dives on the psychology behind why people do what they do — from Yu-kai Chou, creator of the Octalysis Framework. Pick the topic that matters to you.
Intergroup Contact Theory: An S-Tier Behavioral Designer’s Guide
Short answer: Intergroup Contact Theory, advanced by Gordon Allport in his 1954 book The Nature of Prejudice, holds…
Sociometer Theory: An S-Tier Behavioral Designer’s Guide
Mark Leary's Sociometer Theory in plain English: self-esteem as a gauge of perceived relational value, the cracks in…
Narrative Identity: An S-Tier Behavioral Designer’s Guide
Dan McAdams' Narrative Identity Theory in plain English: agency and communion, redemption sequences, the generativity script, the cultural-bias…
System Justification Theory: An S-Tier Behavioral Designer’s Guide
Jost and Banaji's System Justification Theory explained: the three-motive structure, the status-legitimacy debate, and how Octalysis turns it…
Stereotype Content Model: An S-Tier Behavioral Designer’s Guide
The first thing your brain does when it encounters a person, a brand, an avatar, or a country…
Why Does VR Engagement Always Die Right After the Wow?
Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest 3 dazzle for thirty minutes, then sit in drawers. Yu-kai Chou explains…