{"id":1858,"date":"2011-08-04T03:06:28","date_gmt":"2011-08-04T08:06:28","guid":{"rendered":"\/\/www.webguru-india.com\/blog\/?p=1858"},"modified":"2021-07-21T08:16:19","modified_gmt":"2021-07-21T13:16:19","slug":"web-design-and-user-behavior-and-psychological-theories-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.webguru-india.com\/blog\/web-design-and-user-behavior-and-psychological-theories-part-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Web Design and User Behavior and Psychological Theories: Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

Human behavior is the result of how we interpret what we see and how we choose to act thereof. Very often, a user\u2019s initial reaction to a website<\/a><\/strong> will have no bearing on the site\u2019s merits, but only its appeal. Any user when idly browsing the web will always be attracted to websites with interesting color schemes, layouts, and images than simple websites with neutered designs.<\/p>\n

Any action a user takes on a website will be determined by a series of decisions he makes upon visiting that website. The human mind makes highly logical decisions. Most of what users do will be guided by personal preference and habit. It can also be safely concluded, that a user\u2019s action on a site will frequently be misguided by what he has learnt, seen, and is used to doing.<\/p>\n

Of course, no two users will think and act the same way. But generalization on user behavior patterns can be drawn nevertheless. This article by no means enunciates hard facts about human behavioral psychology, but only theories honored by time.<\/p>\n

1. Maslow\u2019s Hierarchy of Needs Theory<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The \u201csilent visitor\u201d makes up the majority of website users. The silent visitor, or lurker, isn\u2019t socially inclined and will not go beyond browsing a few web pages and reading. For a website design to work, it must fulfill visitor needs, although what web users prefer is up for debate.<\/p>\n

Abraham Maslow, who was a humanist psychologist, came up with the famous \u201chierarchy of needs\u201d theory to show what humans require to reach a point where they decide to participate or interact on a website.<\/p>\n

At its core, Maslow\u2019s theory speaks about how the average visitor must be infested with a sense of growth and increasing self-esteem upon visiting a website. In other words, a website must treat its visitors with respect to help him reach his \u2018pinnacle\u2019 or the point he starts becoming active on the website.<\/p>\n

Maslow defined levels of importance that reflect how and what humans prioritize and what they require for \u2018self-actualization\u2019, i.e., appreciation of their surroundings and to achieve personal growth.<\/p>\n

Based on Maslow\u2019s theory, we can conclude the hierarchy of needs of website users as the following:<\/p>\n