UX Planet
Cyberpsychology and UX: The Latest Research
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Cyberpsychology is the study of human mind and behavior in the context of human-technology interaction. This is a newly formed field that as separated itself from social psychology and web psychology and understanding it can help designers make more accurate predictions about how people will respond to different technologies. It can be a helpful asset when considering how users come to love products but also what frustrations they encounter as a whole and directly understand how to build better user experiences. For a long time, the human motivation theory has been Maslow’s hierarchy of needs but it has its failings because it only describes how people prioritize doesn’t account for excitement, vigor and energy that people apply to those actions. In fact, the self determination theory fills in those gaps by concerning itself with human motivation, personality and optimal functioning. It looks at relatedness, competence and autonomy. Humans need to feel close, affectionate relationships with others and feel part of something bigger. Both of these needs can be used to engage users and keep them loyal. People also feel the need to improve themselves and master new skills which is why gamifaction has proved so effective. The final is a sense of autonomy which makes people feel empowered and in control. It provides a sense of freedom and choice. Of course motivator can be conflicting and don’t all need to be present to win over a customer.