Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)

People feel compelled to act when they believe they might miss out on a desirable opportunity or experience.

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Usability & Interaction

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Encourages timely action through perceived scarcity

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Can increase user anxiety or dissatisfaction

Best paired with

Progressive Disclosure

Gradual exposure reduces impulsive reactions to scarcity.

Subtle cues encourage balanced decision-making despite urgency.

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Promotions

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Gamification

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Conversion

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Engagement

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Exploration

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Decision-Making

The Study

Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) explores how individuals' decisions and perceptions are influenced by underlying psychological mechanisms. Research on this bias has revealed its role in everyday behaviours and decision-making processes. Studies often involve experiments where participants' reactions are observed to determine the bias's impact. This understanding helps designers and marketers craft more effective, user-centric experiences.

The result

The results indicate that fear of missing out (fomo) significantly influences decision-making by altering perception, recall, or emotional response. These findings provide valuable insights into cognitive behaviour, informing design strategies.

Actionable tips

1.

Create urgency with limited-time offers.

2.

Balance FOMO with transparent messaging.

3.

Test scarcity tactics for ethical influence.

Ingredient pairings

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Best pairings

Progressive Disclosure

Encourages thoughtful engagement while preventing urgency-driven decisions.

Nudge

Promotes control over actions while preserving engagement.

Feedback Loop

Supports rational decision-making while minimising impulse-driven choices.

Priming

Facilitates considered choices while reducing emotional influence.

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Worst pairings

Social Proof

Exploits social influence to heighten impulsive participation.

Scarcity Principle

Manipulates scarcity perception to drive hasty decisions.

Confirmation Bias

Encourages rushed decisions while discouraging broader evaluation.

Authority Bias

Encourages over-reliance on authority rather than personal judgment.

Extra impact of other biases

Increases engagement by showcasing the popularity of choices.

Scarcity Principle

Encourages action by emphasizing limited opportunities.

Cocktails with this ingredient

The Sharing Sangria

Motivates users to recommend the product or service to others.

Encouraging Referrals

The Last Call

Encourages users to act immediately by leveraging urgency.

Creating Urgency