The "Elephant in UX" is the hidden factor—user psychology—which often goes unseen, much like the blind men in the famous story who only perceive a small part of the whole. We must move beyond surface-level design and connect the dots by examining our products through the lens of behavioral psychology, drawing on insights from experts like Dr. Susan Weinschenk.

Here are the five critical psychological truths that define a product's success:

1. The Illusion of Attention (Peripheral Vision) Just because a user is looking straight at something doesn't mean they are paying attention to it. People use their peripheral vision to grasp the "gist" of what they are seeing.

• Actionable UX: Avoid relying solely on prominent positioning. Use contrast and visual hierarchy to ensure the gist you want them to get is the right one.

2. The Power of Conceptual Models (Metaphors) Metaphors are powerful tools that help users understand a new conceptual model quickly. Simple analogies like "This is just like reading a book" instantly reduce the learning curve.

• Actionable UX: Align your UI components and interactions with real-world or digital metaphors that users already understand.

3. The Problem with Too Much Choice (Information Processing) Users often want more information than they can actually process. More choices can make users feel in control, which is linked to a better survival instinct. However, too much information increases cognitive load.

• Actionable UX: Limit complexity while giving the feeling of control. Use progressive disclosure and intelligent defaults to hide overwhelming details until needed.

4. The Fragility of Memory Human memory degrades quickly and is prone to errors.

• Actionable UX: Never make people remember things from one page or task to another. Use memory aids like persistent carts, clear state indicators, and 'remember me' functionality.

5. The Distraction Dilemma People are easily distracted. If you want to grab their attention (e.g., for an urgent alert), flash elements or auto-play videos. If you want them to focus, avoid these attention-grabbers.

• Actionable UX: Design a focused flow. Only use high-distraction tactics when the information is critical and requires immediate action.

The Bottom Line: To build truly effective products, you must acknowledge the user's psychology. Your ultimate goal is to reduce the cognitive load of the users to the minimum.