Giving Up Or Giving In

Description
This is a behavior that can occur when the system continues to prompt (nags) the user about performing a certain task. This continuous prompting from the system will then lead the user to either stop using the system (Giving Up) or the user succumbs to the system and performs the task (Giving In) so that the system hopefully stops prompting the user.

Examples
One such example is the Facebook game CityVille. After the user has progressed a certain level into the game the game will prompt the user to invite more friends otherwise the user won't be able to progress onto the next level. The user can also chose to buy virtual friends that will help the user progress in the game. The user can continue to play the game at the same level but the system will prompt the user to either invite friends or buy virtual friends. So if the user wants to progress in the game they have the choice of either Giving Up playing the game or Giving In and invite friends or pay for the game.

Another example would be Facebook's "People you might know"-suggestion. Here, users might not want to befriend a certain person per se, but since this person is propmpted every once in a while the user might Give In and befriend him or her.

Pros and Cons
By utilizing this behavior one can get people to perform a specific task. However one should be prepared that if the user don't have anything that will make them keep using the system. They might choose to not use the system at all.

Relations
Patterns such as Share Application described by Curmlish and Malone can be used in such a way that it fosters the behavior of Giving Up Or Giving In. Other patterns such as Activity Streams, also by Curmlish and Malone, can give the system and edge by "threatening" the user to publish content on their Activity Stream if they don't cooperate. Businesses that try to Monetize their services can foster the behavior of Giving Up Or Giving In.

Contributors
Created by Magnus Spånggård.