Pygmalion Effect

When someone gets three answers wrong in a row, try reassuring them they're still making progress, so a run of mistakes doesn't signal that you expect them to fail.

Example from

Duolingo

If someone answers many correctly in a row, you could automatically raise the difficulty, showing you expect more, so the challenge stays interesting rather than too easy.

Example from

Duolingo

For first-time users, one option is to offer a few achievable starter challenges, so early wins build belief without asking people to lower their own ambitions.

Example from

Twitch

After someone completes an action, consider awarding a badge and displaying the next reachable milestone, so each small win sets a positive expectation for what comes next.

Example from

Skillshare

It may help to set new users a clear early target, e.g., a word count that reveals extra stats, signalling you expect them to reach it and giving them something to aim for.

Example from

Wispr Flow