Dark psych dev

dark-psych-dev

Behavioral psychology implementation toolkit for mobile and web products. Generates code, schemas, and UX sequences that engineer user attachment, reduce churn, and maximize conversion using documented cognitive bias mechanisms.

Ethical Notice: This skill generates tools that influence human decision-making at a neurological level. Include appropriate consent flows, data portability options, spending limits, and transparent disclosures in production builds. See REFERENCE.md § Ethical Boundary for mandatory guidelines.

---

Quick Start

Phantom Endowment Paywall (React + localStorage):

Build a phantom endowment paywall for a SaaS analytics dashboard.
Users should feel ownership over 3 generated reports before the paywall triggers.
Stack: React + localStorage.
Include: local-first state, loss-framed CTA ("Keep Your Reports"), abandonment notification at T+48h, asset-count copy.

Expected output: React component with local-first state management, loss-framed CTA copy, abandonment scheduler, and a 3-touch trigger sequence.

Streak + Sunk Cost System (React Native):

Add a streak system to a fitness app. Stack: React Native + Node.js.
Include: loss-framed push notification copy with exact day count, streak-shield purchase mechanic, "What You'll Lose" modal, social comparison display.

Gacha Pull System (Unity / Web):

Build a gacha pull system for a mobile game.
Tiers: 5-star (0.6%), 4-star (5.1%), 3-star (94.3%).
Hard pity at 90 pulls, soft pity from pull 74.
Include: pity carryover, 4-second pull animation with rarity-first reveal, near-miss display, dual currency.

---

Core Concepts (Quick Reference)

Concept	Mechanism	Primary Lever
Phantom Endowment	User feels ownership over unowned premium state	Loss aversion at paywall
Customization Endowment	Personalization creates psychological switching cost	Identity fusion + oxytocin bonding
IKEA Effect	User-assembled artifacts are overvalued relative to effort	Effort justification / cognitive dissonance
Sunk Cost Loop	Prior investment drives continued investment regardless of value	Inertia + mental accounting
Variable Reward	Unpredictable rewards produce highest compulsive behavior rate	Dopamine prediction error
Juicy Feedback	Sensory reward exceeds effort 3–5x on every interaction	Basal ganglia automation
Frictionless Flow	Zero-latency, one-tap actions disable prefrontal deliberation	Habit formation via basal ganglia
Data Lock-In	Accumulated user data is non-exportable or costly to migrate	Endowment effect on data
Social Graph Lock-In	App value is proportional to in-app social connections	Social exchange theory
Loss Aversion CTA	"Keep" framing converts 1.8–2.5x better than "Try" framing	Prospect theory
Near-Miss Display	Showing almost-won state activates same brain region as actual win	Ventral striatum / insula
Progress Architecture	Progress bar always near-complete but never at 100%	Zeigarnik effect + goal gradient

---

Workflows

Workflow 1: Phantom Endowment Paywall

Use when building freemium → paid conversion funnels where loss aversion should replace feature comparison.

Checklist:

• Define the Phantom Asset — what does the user experience as theirs before paying? (reports, projects, saved items, dashboard config)
• Implement local-first state — phantom asset MUST exist in localStorage/AsyncStorage before account creation
• Set touch count threshold — paywall fires at touch 3–5, never touch 1
• Write loss-framed CTA copy — "Keep Your [Asset]" not "Start Free Trial"
• Reference exact asset counts in paywall copy ("You have 3 reports. They'll be deleted unless you sign up.")
• Implement abandonment warning at T+48h — "Your 3 reports expire in 24 hours"
• Implement exit moat modal — list all phantom assets with counts before account deletion
• Frame sign-up as "keeping" not "getting" — the user is preserving, not purchasing
• Track: Phantom Asset Creation Rate (target >60%), Paywall Conversion by CTA variant (Loss vs. Gain frame)

Prompt template:

Build a phantom endowment paywall for [PRODUCT TYPE].
Phantom asset: [ASSET NAME — e.g., reports, projects, playlists].
Paywall trigger: after [N] touches / [N] assets created.
Stack: [TECH STACK].
Include: local-first state, loss-framed CTA, abandonment notification at T+48h, asset-count copy, exit moat modal.

---

Workflow 2: Customization Lock-In Onboarding

Use when building onboarding flows that should maximize D7 retention through identity investment and switching cost.

Checklist:

• Plan 3–5 mandatory investment steps in the first 90 seconds (theme, workspace name, integration connect, goal set, identity category)
• Block progression — "Next" button disabled until each required step completes
• Use text input for workspace/project name — do not allow "Skip"
• Show progress bar labeled "Setup X% complete" not "Step X of Y" (project framing, not form framing)
• Persist all choices with user-facing identity labels (theme_label: "Your Ocean Theme", not theme: "ocean")
• Track identity_score = % of possible configs completed — target >0.65 at D7
• Add irreversible decision point at session 2 — "Confirm Your Path (cannot change for 30 days)"
• Surface personalized summary on all return visits: "Welcome back — your [Workspace Name] is ready"
• At D7 and D30, send investment recap: "You've built [N] projects, connected [N] tools, and completed [N] tasks"

Prompt template:

Build an investment-first onboarding flow for [PRODUCT TYPE].
Required steps: [theme / workspace-name / connect-integration / set-goal / pick-identity].
Stack: [TECH STACK].
Include: blocked progression, identity_score tracking, irreversible decision point at session 2, personalized return greeting, investment recap notifications.

---

Workflow 3: Gacha / Variable Reward System

Use when building pull mechanics, mystery reward chests, randomized daily rewards, or any variable ratio reinforcement system.

Checklist:

• Define rarity tiers and base drop rates (5★: 0.6%, 4★: 5.1%, 3★: 94.3% or equivalent)
• Implement soft pity — drop rate escalation starting at pull N-20 from hard pity cap
• Implement hard pity — guaranteed top-tier at pull N (default 90); make counter visible at ALL times
• Implement pity carryover across banner changes — never fully reset the counter
• Build pull animation: 3–5 seconds, reveal rarity tier FIRST then item name
• Add near-miss display: "So close! [Item] was just [N] pulls away — keep going"
• Implement dual currency: free-earned (gems/coins) + premium (crystals/cash tokens); both spend identically
• Time-limit banner: 14–21 day countdown, visible timer, permanent loss copy ("This character will never return")
• First pull guaranteed high-rarity for initial conditioned reward signal
• Disclose drop rates in UI (legally required in EU, China, Korea; builds trust globally)
• Add 50/50 mechanic for top tier: lose the coin flip → guaranteed win on next pull of same type

Prompt template:

Build a gacha pull system for [PRODUCT TYPE].
Tiers: [TIER NAMES AND BASE RATES].
Hard pity: [N] pulls. Soft pity starts at: [N-20] pulls.
Stack: [TECH STACK].
Include: soft pity escalation, pity carryover, 3–5s pull animation with rarity-first reveal, near-miss display, dual currency, time-limited banner with countdown, disclosed drop rates.

---

Workflow 4: Streak + Sunk Cost Loop

Use when building daily engagement mechanics that use loss aversion to drive return visits.

Checklist:

• Design streak as a possessed object — render with visual identity (flame/icon, incremental number, color gradient)
• Make streak count visible on all primary screens — not buried in profile settings
• Write loss-framed notification copy: "Your 47-day streak expires tonight" (never "Come back!")
• Include specific count in ALL streak-related messages — "47 days" not "your streak"
• Add streak-shield / freeze mechanic — purchasable once per 7 days (sunk cost on the protection itself)
• Show "What You'll Lose" modal before streak reset is confirmed — list exact count and equivalent effort
• Add social streak comparison: "3 friends have longer streaks — challenge them"
• Track streak-loss events as purchase conversion triggers for shield mechanic
• At milestone streaks (7, 30, 100, 365 days), trigger celebration and share prompt

Prompt template:

Build a streak system for [PRODUCT TYPE].
Daily required action: [ACTION].
Stack: [TECH STACK].
Include: loss-framed push notifications with exact count, streak-shield purchase, "What You'll Lose" modal, social comparison display, milestone celebrations at [7/30/100/365] days.

---

Workflow 5: Juicy Feedback Engine

Use when adding sensory reward signals to micro-interactions to increase session length and compulsive usage patterns.

Checklist:

• Map every core interaction to a feedback tier: tap / complete / win / level-up / streak-save
• Tap feedback (minimum): haptic pulse + color change + click sound
• Task completion: 0.5–1s Lottie animation + sound + badge pop-up
• Variable reward: 3–5s Lottie animation + escalating sound + haptic + celebration text
• Level-up: full-screen animation + fanfare sound + 5-second celebration + share prompt
• Streak save: red-to-green color shift + "STREAK SAVED!" text + celebration sound + push confirmation
• Use Lottie for animations (lightweight JSON format, cross-platform)
• Use progressive sound design — pitch and volume escalate with reward magnitude
• Make best rewards unpredictable in exact size (variable ratio within a variable ratio)
• Test: every reward signal should feel 3–5x bigger than the effort that triggered it

Prompt template:

Build a juicy feedback engine for [PRODUCT TYPE].
Core interaction events: [LIST: tap / complete / win / level-up / streak-save / etc.].
Stack: [React Native / Web / Unity].
Include: haptic API integration, Lottie animation templates per tier, progressive sound design, variable reward amplitude within each tier.

---

Workflow 6: Data Lock-In Architecture

Use when designing data storage and export systems to maximize switching costs through the endowment effect on accumulated data.

Checklist:

• Store all user-generated content with user-facing identity labels ("Your Ocean Theme", "Engineering Sprint Board")
• Build a "Your Journey" dashboard showing all accumulated data with celebratory framing
• Trigger "Year in Review" and milestone reports ("You've built 47 playlists — that's 312 hours of curation")
• Make data accumulation continuously visible — not just in settings but on primary screens
• Add social data to lock-in architecture — friend lists, group memberships, shared collections
• Surface investment mirrors: contribution graphs, streak calendars, level meters, rating counts
• If GDPR export required: implement with maximum legally compliant friction (email confirm, 48h processing delay, segmented file format)
• Build "What You've Built" recap for account deletion flow — list all assets with specific counts before confirming

Prompt template:

Design a data lock-in architecture for [PRODUCT TYPE].
User data types: [LIST: playlists / workspaces / progress / social-graph / etc.].
Stack: [TECH STACK].
Include: identity-labeled storage schema, investment dashboard, milestone celebration events, GDPR-compliant export with maximum legal friction, account-deletion asset recap.

---

Advanced Features

For detailed neurochemical mechanics, full pattern library with KPI benchmarks, and ethical guidelines, see:

• REFERENCE.md — Neurochemical signatures, complete pattern library, KPI targets, Hook Model deep dive, Ethical Boundary
• EXAMPLES.md — Concrete implementation examples for SaaS, mobile games, social apps, and content platforms

Available Scripts

Script	Purpose	Usage
scripts/onboarding-generator.js	Generates investment-first onboarding state machine	node onboarding-generator.js --product <type> --steps <n> --stack <react|vue|vanilla>
scripts/retention-loop-builder.py	Builds Hook Model loop with notification schedules and investment escalation ladder	python retention-loop-builder.py --config loop-config.json

Prompt Engineering Tips

• Always specify the tech stack — outputs differ significantly between React Native, Unity, and web
• Specify the product type (SaaS, mobile game, social app, content platform) — pattern selection is context-sensitive
• Request --output copy for UX copy and CTA variants only, without code
• Request --output schema for database schema only
• Request --output fullstack for complete backend + frontend implementation

Integration with dark-psych-scanner

After generating a pattern with dark-psych-dev, run dark-psych-scanner to score the implementation's manipulation index and identify any patterns that cross ethical or regulatory thresholds before shipping.

# Recommended workflow:
# 1. Generate pattern with dark-psych-dev
# 2. Audit output with dark-psych-scanner
# 3. Remediate any CRITICAL findings
# 4. Re-audit to verify score is within acceptable range