When I was first introduced to some of the most famous psychology studies to ever exist in my undergraduate psychology classes I was engrossed by how humans behaved. But, at the time I didn’t realize how intertwined basic psychology studies were in understanding design.

However, as I learned, I began to see these connections more and more. Nobody else in my class looked at basic psychology the same way I did, out of 40 students, 39 were pursuing science or medicine. And that one, of course, was me, a technology student. While the girl next to me worked with children suffering trauma, I was there trying to understand how to make someone click a button.

I vividly remember the day when a clinical psychology professor singled me out in front of the class, questioning my knowledge about the nuances of prescribing “Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors.” His condescending tone echoed in the room as he accused me of neglecting the readings after I had answered, “I don’t remember.” As if I internalized a 40-page reading about prescription medicines.

Little did he know, my fascination didn’t lie in memorizing prescriptions but in deciphering the intricacies of Pavlov’s Experiment and other psychological marvels.

Fast forward a couple of years and my journey in UX design revealed a profound truth: those seemingly abstract psychological studies weren’t just theories in dusty textbooks; they were the secrets to understanding human cognition and behavior. These studies weren’t just about lab rats and bells; they were the keys that unlocked the mysteries of our minds, guiding my every move in the realm of design to this day.

In this exploration, I invite you to join me on a fascinating journey through five of these pivotal studies, each a revelation in its own right. These are not merely academic curiosities; they are the foundation upon which I’ve built my understanding of design. Together, we’ll unravel the profound impact these studies have had on the way I perceive human behavior, and how they continue to shape the very essence of my work. So buckle up and prepare to dive deep into the extraordinary realm where psychology meets design.

Invisible Gorilla Experiment (Selective Attention)

Study Conducted by: Chabris and Simons

This experiment is often described as, “one of the most famous psychological demos ever.” Chabris and Simons were able to reveal that people who are focused on one thing can easily overlook something else. To demonstrate this effect they created a video where students pass a basketball between themselves. Viewers were asked to count the number of times the players with the white shirts pass the ball, often failing to notice a person in a gorilla suit who appears in the center of the image. Simons and Chabris were awarded an Ig Nobel Prize for this experiment.

This study helped prove humans have selective attention. Selective Attention is the process of focusing on a particular object in one's environment for a certain period of time. As attention is a limited resource — selective attention allows us to tune out unimportant details and focus on what matters.

What this means for designers

Designers tend to be hip to this concept, that to optimize a user’s experience we focus on the user’s journey and try not to create unnecessary noise on a page. People have selective attention and will only focus on the necessary journey to their objective. Nothing is more annoying than trying to find something on a page crowded by stuff you have no intention of using — If it’s not important to a user's task, users won’t care about or acknowledge it. Non-designers often interpret concepts such as white space as a “negative” or “lazy” way to design. Designers know white space and limited options are our friends and are commonly found in great designs.

Change blindness is a similar phenomenon where we don’t detect changes. Whether they’re in our environment, on websites, or directly in front of our faces. The Invisible Gorilla Experiment is not the only experiment that has revealed the brain missing information they were not focused on. The results of many other extensive experiments yielded high percentages of participants not noticing changes. These ranged from people changing clothes to a complete swap of a person they were talking to.

Source: https://uxplanet.org/the-most-influential-psychological-studies-on-ux-design-2f92fa6e2442