# Fogg Behavior Model > Use when working with the Fogg Behavior Model explains that three elements must converge at the same - Skill: `tomevault-io/fogg-behavior-model` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add tomevault-io/fogg-behavior-model` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/tomevault-io/fogg-behavior-model/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: AI & ML - Author: tomevault-io (https://skillmd.com/u/tomevault-io) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tomevault-io/fogg-behavior-model --- # Fogg Behavior Model - B = MAP 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. ## When to Use This Skill - Designing onboarding and activation flows - Improving conversion rates - Building habit-forming products - Increasing feature adoption - Understanding why users drop off - Planning behavior change interventions ## The B = MAP Formula ``` ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ 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. ``` ## The Three Elements ### 1. Motivation **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" | ### 2. Ability **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 | ### 3. Prompt **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" ``` ## Behavior Diagnosis Framework ### Step 1: Define Target Behavior 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] ``` ### Step 2: Diagnose Missing Element ``` 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 ``` ### Step 3: Design Intervention | 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) | ## Output Template After completing analysis, document as: ```markdown ## 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] | ``` ## Real-World Examples ### Example 1: Daily Exercise Habit ``` 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 ``` ### Example 2: Feature Adoption (SaaS) ``` 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 ``` ### Example 3: Newsletter Signup ``` 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 ``` ## Design Principles ### Start with Ability ``` 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." ``` ### Right Prompt, Right Moment ``` 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 ``` ### Tiny Habits Approach ``` 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" ``` ## Behavior Types | 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 | ## Integration with Other Methods | 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? | ## Quick Reference ``` 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 ``` ## Resources - [BJ Fogg's Behavior Model](https://behaviormodel.org/) - [Tiny Habits - BJ Fogg](https://tinyhabits.com/) - [Hooked - Nir Eyal](https://www.nirandfar.com/hooked/) - [Atomic Habits - James Clear](https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits) --- > Converted and distributed by [TomeVault](https://tomevault.io/claim/flpbalada) — claim your Tome and manage your conversions.