MENTAL MODEL · M0100

The Hook Model

BehaviorHigh supportPsychology

Included

Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30

CORE DEFINITION

Proposed by Nir Eyal. Explains how to make products form user habits. It consists of four cyclical steps: Trigger (internal and external cues), Action (minimal action), Variable Reward (unpredictable rewards), and Investment (users invest time/data, increasing switching costs).

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

- Product stickiness: reveals the underlying mechanism that makes products like TikTok and games irresistible (especially 'variable rewards'). - Self-defense: use the model in reverse to identify which apps have 'hooked' you, thereby interrupting the cycle and regaining attention freedom.

anchor

Anchor fast decisions

Habits are automatic responses formed after the 'trigger-action-reward-investment' loop is repeatedly reinforced. Variable rewards use 'intermittent reinforcement' to create the strongest dopamine drive (more addictive than fixed rewards); investment raises the exit barrier through 'sunk cost + endowment effect', making the next trigger easier to initiate, forming a self-reinforcing cycle.

MINIMUM ACTION

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Practice this model in one real situation:

Trigger: External (push/notifications) and internal (boredom/anxiety) cues initiate behavior.
Action: Lower the action threshold (one-click, minimal) to make behavior easy to occur.
Reward: Provide unpredictable rewards (new content/likes/drops) to maintain anticipation.
Investment: Encourage users to invest (post/follow/customize) to raise switching costs.
Loop: Investment increases the probability of responding to the next trigger, solidifying the habit loop.

Check to track your progress (stored locally)

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Source support: Explicit

link
baike.baidu.comhttps://baike.baidu.com/item/上瘾/20823386ZH · Explicit
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