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The Attraction Effect: How to Nudge Users Towards a Decision

When designing your website or application, you want to ensure that your users are making the best possible decisions. However, humans are not always completely rational, and we are susceptible to certain cognitive biases that can influence our decisions.

One of these biases is called the Attraction Effect, which refers to our tendency to change our preference between two options when a third option is introduced, which is inferior to one of the options but better than the other. In other words, when we have to choose between two options that are similar, we can be influenced by a third, less attractive option that makes our original choice seem more appealing.

This bias is also known as the "decoy effect" or the "asymmetric dominance effect," and it can be a powerful tool to nudge users towards a particular choice.

Understanding the Attraction Effect

To better understand how the Attraction Effect works, let's take a look at a common example. Imagine that you are in the market for a new laptop, and you have two options:

• A MacBook Pro with a 13-inch screen, 256GB of storage, and 8GB of RAM, priced at $1499.
• A MacBook Pro with a 15-inch screen, 512GB of storage, and 16GB of RAM, priced at $2399.

At first glance, these options may seem relatively comparable. However, now let's introduce a third option:

• A MacBook Pro with a 13-inch screen, 512GB of storage, and 8GB of RAM, priced at $1799.

This third option is inferior to the 15-inch MacBook Pro in terms of screen size and RAM, but it is better than the first option in terms of storage. So, which laptop would you choose now?

According to the Attraction Effect, many people would now be more likely to choose the first option, the 13-inch MacBook Pro with less storage and less RAM than the third option. This is because the third option has made the first option seem more attractive by comparison.

How to Use the Attraction Effect in Your Design

Now that we understand how the Attraction Effect works, we can use it to our advantage in our website or application design.

First, identify the decision you want the user to make. This could be a purchase, a sign-up, or any other action you want them to take.

Next, determine the options available to the user. You want to make sure that there are at least two options that are relatively similar, but with one option being slightly superior.

Finally, introduce a third option that is inferior to one of the options but better than the other. This will nudge the user towards the superior option.

For example, let's say you are an e-commerce retailer selling sunglasses. You want to encourage users to purchase a pair of sunglasses that costs $100. You have two options available:

• Sunglasses that are polarized and have UV protection, priced at $100.
• Sunglasses that are polarized but do not have UV protection, priced at $80.

To introduce the Attraction Effect, you could introduce a third option:

• Sunglasses that have UV protection but are not polarized, priced at $90.

Now, users will see that the $100 sunglasses are the best choice because they offer both polarized lenses and UV protection, while the $90 sunglasses have only UV protection and the $80 sunglasses have neither. The $90 sunglasses have made the $100 sunglasses seem more attractive by comparison.

Conclusion

The Attraction Effect is a powerful tool for nudging users towards a particular decision. By introducing a third option that is inferior to one option but better than the other, you can make the superior option seem even more appealing.

When using this bias, be careful not to deceive or manipulate users into making decisions they may not have otherwise made. Always provide clear and transparent information about the options available, and ensure that the user is making an informed decision.

With a solid understanding of cognitive biases like the Attraction Effect, you can design your website or application to help users make the best possible decisions.