Loss aversion

Loss aversion means people experience a stronger emotional reaction to losing something than to gaining the same value. In other words, people prefer not to lose $20, than to find $20.^[1]

What does it mean for UX writing? Writers, just like designers, should always put themselves in users’ shoes to understand how they perceive and interpret the situation. Your intentions may be good for your company's priorities, but if users don’t see value in them, they’ll ignore them. For instance, instead of saying, “Add your email for updates,” you could highlight what users lose by skipping the action: “Don’t miss important updates — add your email now.”