No. #10
Omission Bias
- The Inaction Influence
We tend to judge harmful actions as worse, or less moral, than equally harmful omissions (inactions). This can affect decision-making processes in product development, leading users to prefer products that 'do no harm' by omission over those that take an active stance, potentially leading to passive product features.
Read more on WikipediaProduct example
In a health-tracking app, users may prefer not to receive active alerts about potential health issues, seeing the alerts as intrusive or harmful, versus the app omitting such alerts.
Empathy tips
Promote Informed Choices
Provide users with clear information to make informed decisions about feature use.
User Control
Allow users to customize alert settings to their comfort level.
Ethical Design
Consider the ethical implications of both action and inaction in design.
Feedback Loops
Gather user feedback on preferences for active versus passive features.
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