Design behavior change using the B=MAP framework. Use when designing onboarding flows, improving conversion, building habits, increasing feature adoption, or understanding why users don't take desired actions.
Apply the B=MAP framework to diagnose why users aren't taking desired actions and design targeted interventions. Use when analyzing onboarding drop-offs, conversion problems, or low feature adoption to identify whether motivation, ability, or prompts are missing.
/plugin marketplace add flpbalada/thinking-toolkit/plugin install fogg-behavior-model@thinking-toolkitThis skill inherits all available tools. When active, it can use any tool Claude has access to.
The Fogg Behavior Model explains that three elements must converge at the same moment for a behavior to occur: Motivation, Ability, and a Prompt. When a behavior does not occur, at least one of these elements is missing.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ BEHAVIOR = MAP │
│ │
│ Behavior happens when Motivation, Ability, and Prompt │
│ come together at the SAME MOMENT. │
│ │
│ When behavior doesn't happen → at least one is missing. │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
High │ ·····
M │ ····· Behavior
o │ ····· Happens
t │ ····· Here
i │····─────────────────────────────
v │ Action Line
a │
t │ Behavior
i │ Fails
o │ Here
n │
Low └─────────────────────────────────────
Hard ←── Ability ──→ Easy
Prompts only work above the Action Line.
What drives the user to act?
Motivation Sources:
Core Motivators (Fogg):
├── Pleasure / Pain
├── Hope / Fear
└── Social Acceptance / Rejection
Additional Drivers:
├── Intrinsic interest
├── Personal goals
├── External rewards
└── Social pressure
| Motivator | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Pleasure/Pain | "I should exercise" | "I want to feel great" |
| Hope/Fear | "Might be useful" | "Don't want to miss out" |
| Social | "No one cares" | "Everyone's doing it" |
How easy is it to do?
Ability Factors (Fogg):
Simplicity Chain (weakest link determines ability):
├── Time: How long does it take?
├── Money: How much does it cost?
├── Physical effort: How hard physically?
├── Mental effort: How much thinking?
├── Social deviance: How weird is it?
└── Non-routine: How different from habits?
Ability = Inverse of the HARDEST factor
| Factor | Low Ability | High Ability |
|---|---|---|
| Time | 30-minute signup | 2-click signup |
| Money | $99/month | Free trial |
| Physical | Visit store | Click button |
| Mental | Complex form | Smart defaults |
| Social | Public commitment | Private action |
| Routine | New behavior | Fits existing habit |
What triggers action at the right moment?
Prompt Types:
Spark (High Ability, Low Motivation):
├── Inspires and motivates
├── Appeals to emotions
└── Example: "Your friends are waiting"
Facilitator (High Motivation, Low Ability):
├── Makes action easier
├── Reduces friction
└── Example: "One-click purchase"
Signal (High Motivation, High Ability):
├── Simple reminder
├── Just needs timing
└── Example: "Time to check in"
Be specific about what you want users to do:
Behavior Definition:
❌ Vague: "Use the app more"
✅ Specific: "Complete a 5-minute workout daily"
Components:
├── Who: [Target user segment]
├── What: [Specific action]
├── When: [Timing/context]
└── How often: [Frequency]
Diagnosis Tree:
Is the user doing the behavior?
│
├── NO → Diagnose which element is missing:
│ │
│ ├── Do they WANT to do it?
│ │ ├── NO → Motivation problem
│ │ └── YES → Continue
│ │
│ ├── CAN they easily do it?
│ │ ├── NO → Ability problem
│ │ └── YES → Continue
│ │
│ └── Are they PROMPTED at the right moment?
│ ├── NO → Prompt problem
│ └── YES → Re-examine all three
│
└── YES → Behavior successful
| Problem | Solution Approach |
|---|---|
| Low Motivation | Increase desire (spark prompt) |
| Low Ability | Reduce friction (facilitator prompt) |
| No Prompt | Add well-timed trigger (signal prompt) |
| Multiple issues | Start with Ability (easiest to change) |
After completing analysis, document as:
## Behavior Design Analysis
**Target Behavior:** [Specific behavior]
**User Segment:** [Who]
**Date:** [Date]
### Current State
| Element | Score (1-5) | Evidence |
| ---------- | ----------- | --------------------- |
| Motivation | [Score] | [What indicates this] |
| Ability | [Score] | [What indicates this] |
| Prompt | [Score] | [What indicates this] |
### Ability Breakdown
| Factor | Current State | Bottleneck? |
| -------- | ------------- | ----------- |
| Time | [Assessment] | Yes/No |
| Money | [Assessment] | Yes/No |
| Physical | [Assessment] | Yes/No |
| Mental | [Assessment] | Yes/No |
| Social | [Assessment] | Yes/No |
| Routine | [Assessment] | Yes/No |
### Diagnosis
**Primary Issue:** [Motivation/Ability/Prompt]
**Root Cause:** [Specific reason]
### Intervention Design
| Priority | Change | Element | Expected Impact |
| -------- | ----------------- | ------- | -------------------- |
| 1 | [Specific change] | [M/A/P] | [Measurable outcome] |
| 2 | [Specific change] | [M/A/P] | [Measurable outcome] |
### Success Metrics
| Metric | Current | Target | Timeline |
| --------------- | ------- | ------ | -------- |
| [Behavior rate] | X% | Y% | [Time] |
Target Behavior: Do a 20-minute workout daily
Motivation:
├── Want to get fit ✓
├── Feel better ✓
└── Score: 4/5 (High)
Ability:
├── Time: 20 min → Could be less
├── Physical: Moderate effort
├── Mental: Need to decide what to do
├── Routine: Not part of current habits
└── Score: 2/5 (Low - bottleneck)
Prompt:
├── No consistent trigger
└── Score: 2/5 (Low)
Interventions:
├── Ability: Reduce to 5-minute starter routine
├── Ability: Pre-select workout (no decisions)
├── Prompt: Phone alarm + clothes laid out
└── Routine: Anchor to morning coffee
Target Behavior: Use new collaboration feature
Motivation:
├── Users don't see value yet
└── Score: 2/5 (Low - problem)
Ability:
├── Feature is buried in menu
├── Requires 4 clicks to access
└── Score: 2/5 (Low - problem)
Prompt:
├── One email announcement sent
└── Score: 1/5 (Very low)
Interventions:
├── Motivation: Show social proof ("Teams save 2hrs/week")
├── Ability: Add one-click access from dashboard
├── Ability: Pre-configure with defaults
├── Prompt: In-app tooltip at relevant moment
└── Prompt: Contextual suggestion during related tasks
Target Behavior: Subscribe to weekly newsletter
Motivation:
├── Valuable content promised
├── Social proof: "10,000 subscribers"
└── Score: 3/5 (Medium)
Ability:
├── Email only (simple)
├── One field
└── Score: 5/5 (High)
Prompt:
├── Popup after 30 seconds
├── User often not ready yet
└── Score: 2/5 (Wrong timing)
Intervention:
├── Prompt: Move to end of valuable article
├── Prompt: "Want more like this?"
└── Context: After user received value
Why Ability First:
Motivation:
├── Hard to change
├── Often outside your control
└── Fluctuates over time
Ability:
├── Directly designable
├── Permanent once improved
└── Helps when motivation dips
"Make it so easy they can't say no."
Prompt Timing:
Too Early:
├── User not ready
├── Creates annoyance
└── Wasted impression
Too Late:
├── Moment passed
├── Motivation cooled
└── Friction accumulated
Just Right:
├── High motivation moment
├── Ability is present
└── Action is natural next step
BJ Fogg's Tiny Habits:
1. Make it TINY
└── Smallest possible version of behavior
2. Find the right ANCHOR
└── Existing habit to attach to
3. Celebrate IMMEDIATELY
└── Positive emotion reinforces
Formula: "After I [ANCHOR], I will [TINY BEHAVIOR]"
Example: "After I pour my coffee, I will do 2 pushups"
| Type | Motivation | Ability | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green | High | High | Just add prompt |
| Blue | High | Low | Increase ability |
| Purple | Low | High | Increase motivation |
| Gray | Low | Low | Major redesign needed |
| Method | Combined Use |
|---|---|
| Hooked Model | Fogg explains the trigger/action phase |
| Cognitive Load | Ability = inverse of cognitive load |
| Loss Aversion | Powerful motivation lever |
| Curiosity Gap | Motivation through information gaps |
| Five Whys | Why isn't behavior happening? |
B = MAP CHECKLIST
Motivation Boosters:
□ Clear value proposition
□ Social proof present
□ Loss framing considered
□ Personalized relevance
□ Emotional connection
Ability Enhancers:
□ Minimum steps possible
□ Smart defaults set
□ No unnecessary fields
□ Mobile-friendly
□ Fits existing routines
Prompt Optimization:
□ Right type for situation
□ Appears at right moment
□ Clear call to action
□ Not interruptive
□ Contextually relevant