Psychology of UX Writing

UX writing is never just a technical process. We write for users who have their motivations, expectations, biases, and cognitive limitations. Developing empathy toward users to understand their thoughts and feelings before they act is essential for creating a smooth digital experience.

This knowledge stems from behavioral psychology, or behaviorism, which was born in the 1900s. This theory of learning is based on the idea that the environment shapes human behavior and that, with proper conditioning, you can influence the behavior of any person, regardless of their talents, abilities, inclinations, or other factors.

Many critics argue that behaviorism is too rigid and doesn’t consider free will and external influences like moods, thoughts, or feelings. However, its principles are still popular and help teachers and parents educate kids on acquiring new behaviors and discouraging unwanted ones. UX writers can also rely on behaviorism to guide people through digital interfaces.

In contrast to behaviorism, social psychology believes that human behavior is influenced by the actual presence of other people and social norms that affect us even when we’re alone. The principle of social proof originates from this.

Principles of cognitive psychology also find application in UX writing. They focus on understanding how people perceive and process information, how their memory works, what influences their attention, and other aspects of problem-solving, decision-making, and thinking.