Human Behavior in the Virtual World : A Research Study on Splitwise's User Experience

Human virtual behavior | User research | Heuristic evaluation | Intended & Deviant behaviors | Research tools & methodologies

Duration : 4 weeks | Members : 2

Introduction

In the digital age, human behavior is increasingly shaped by virtual interactions and technology-mediated relationships. Financial apps, in particular, influence trust, group dynamics, and emotional responses. Splitwise - used globally for shared expenses - provides a unique lens to study how people behave, negotiate responsibilities, and manage social relationships in virtual environments.This study examines these behaviors through a UX research perspective, analyzing how Splitwise’s design influences emotions, decisions, interactions, and trust between users.

Objective

This project aims to conduct an in-depth UX research study on Splitwise to analyze:

how users interact with the app,
how virtual environments shape financial and social behaviors, and
how psychological factors influence user experience.

The goal is to uncover behavioral insights and provide actionable recommendations to enhance the user experience of Splitwise.

Scope

Investigating how users engage with Splitwise in the context of shared responsibilities and digital group behavior.
Analyzing emotional, cognitive, and psychological triggers created by the app’s interaction design.
Identifying behavioral patterns such as avoidance, trust issues, stress responses, and deviant behaviors.
Translating research findings into UX insights and opportunities for design improvement.

Research Planning

Research Goals

Understand emotional responses linked to money management on Splitwise
Identify cognitive biases influencing user decisions and interactions.
Evaluate usability challenges and friction points in the app.
Explore social tensions and trust dynamics within group settlements.

Research Questions

What psychological triggers influence user behavior on Splitwise?
How do users perceive debt, repayment, and responsibility in a virtual environment?
What causes stress, avoidance, or discomfort while using the app?
How does the app’s design impact trust and transparency?

Participants

College students sharing daily expenses
Working professionals managing group splits
Friends planning trips or group events
Individuals using Splitwise in households or partnerships

Design Process

Understand

Empathizing with users to deeply comprehend their needs, goals, and challenges through User interviews, Observations, Empathy mapping, Netnography, App reviews

Discover

Analyze the problem further by identifying patterns, behaviors, and deeper insights through data analysis, competitor analysis, Heuristic evaluation

Define

Synthesizing the information gathered to clearly articulate the problem statement

Ideate

Generate innovative solutions to address the defined problem.

About Splitwise

Splitwise is a Providence, Rhode Island-based company founded by Jonathan Bittner and collaborators.

The platform is designed to simplify the process of splitting bills and managing shared expenses among friends, families, and groups.

Mission :

Splitwise aims to make shared living and travel easier by providing:

Neutral advice and fair judgment for expense sharing.
Tools that reduce awkwardness and frustration in managing shared finances.

Founded
2011

100 + currencies

10 + languages

Research Methods

Netnography

Objective: To explore how users perceive, discuss, and interact with Splitwise in virtual communities, identifying pain points, emotional triggers, and opportunities for improvement.

Glimps of what users have to say :

"I feel weird sending reminders to friends"
"The app is too text-heavy and not visually appealing."

Auto Ethnographic Research

Objective: To use personal experiences with Splitwise to identify usability challenges, emotional triggers, and behavioral patterns, offering a firsthand perspective to complement user research.

Researcher's observations:

The interface feels text-heavy and overwhelming, making it hard to navigate.
A payment integration feature would close the loop and reduce procrastination.
Incons don’t draw attention, making the interface feel dull

In depth remote Interviews

Objective: By conducting semi-structured interviews, the objective is to understand how users interact with Splitwise, uncover their emotional responses and frustrations, and identify behavioral patterns.

Glimps of what users have to say :

"The filters are so confusing; I can never find what I’m looking for."
"I feel guilty when I have to remind someone to pay me back."
"An integrated payment system would save so much time."

Competitor Analysis

Objective: To use personal experiences with Splitwise to identify usability challenges, emotional triggers, and behavioral patterns, offering a firsthand perspective to complement user research.

Go Dutch :

Seamless in-app payment integration
Gamification features like streaks and leaderboards encourage timely payments.

Tricount :

Offline functionality for managing expenses without internet.

Venmo

Casual design with emojis and comments makes transactions less formal.

Heuristic Evaluation

Objective: To identify usability issues in Splitwise's interface by assessing it against established usability principles

Visibility of System Status

Users are not clearly informed about ongoing actions like pending dues or system updates.

Recognition Rather Than Recall

Users must remember who owes what and manually navigate to specific expenses to check details.

User Control and Freedom

Users have limited control over reminders, they must send them manually, which feels awkward.

Flexibility and Efficiency of Use

Advanced features are hard to understand.

Error Prevention

Users can accidentally forget to specify the currency.

Lack of reminders for unsettled payments leads to missed dues.

Consistency and Standard

The search button directs users to Splitwise Pro, which is unexpected and confusing.

Match Between System and the Real World

Terminology like owe and own is confusing and does not align with how friends/ family/ roomates naturally talk about money.

Aesthetic and Minimalist Design

The interface is text-heavy and overwhelming, making it difficult to focus on key actions.

Unnecessary details clutter the UI, reducing user engagement.

Empathy Map

To understand Splitwise users emotions, thoughts, and behaviors, helping to identify pain points

Positive Aspects:

Simplifies bill splitting, especially for travel and shared housing.
Transparent and reliable for tracking shared expenses.
Users appreciate multi-currency support for international trips.

Pain Points:

Sending reminders feels awkward
Lack of integrated payments leads to procrastination in settling dues.
Text-heavy interface increases cognitive load and reduces engagement.
Filters and navigation are unintuitive, making expense management harder.

Emotions

Fear

Dumb

Frustrated

Betrayed

Guilty

Distrust

Identifying Intended and deviant behavior

Deviant behavior occurs when user is not able to perform as he was expected to perform.

Taking Splitwise as an example, It was made to make user's life easier but instead user ended up feeling frustrated , betrayed , dumb..

Behavioral Insights

Generalized trust /Illusion of control

Generalized Trust: People believe others will usually act fairly and honestly.

Illusion of Control: People feel they can manage or predict outcomes even when they actually cannot.

Users believe Splitwise ensures fairness, giving them a sense of control even though repayment depends on others.

“Once it’s on Splitwise, I know everything will be balanced. It feels safer than asking people directly.”

Priming effect

Exposure to a stimulus - such as a word, image, sound, or situation - can automatically activate related thoughts, emotions, or memories in a person’s mind. This process occurs without conscious intention or awareness.

The moment users think of Splitwise, they feel money-related tension — guilt, stress, or relief.

“Whenever I open Splitwise, I already know it’s either going to hurt or make me smile.”

Mere Exposure Effect

Cognitive Load

People prefer things simply because they are familiar with them.

People avoid tasks that require too much mental effort.

Users stick to Splitwise because it’s familiar, even if the experience isn’t perfect.

Splitwise lowers mental effort by doing calculations, but the text-heavy screens make it tiring to navigate.

“Honestly, it’s not that great… but everyone uses it, so I just go along with it.”

Splitwise lowers mental effort by doing calculations, but the text-heavy screens make it tiring to navigate.

Loss Aversion

People feel the pain of losing money more strongly than the pleasure of gaining the same amount.

Users delay opening the app because they fear seeing how much they owe - the “pain” outweighs potential gains.

“I get scared to check Splitwise. I don’t want to see how much I’m about to lose.”

Actor–Observer Bias

We judge others harshly for the same behavior we excuse in ourselves.

Users judge others for late payments but justify their own delays.

“When others don’t pay on time I get irritated… but when I delay, it’s because I genuinely forgot.”

User Journey Mapping

Trigger

Group outing, shared meal, rent, trip planning.

Emotion

Slight anxiety around cost sharing.

Using Splitwise

Relief from calculations, but overwhelmed by text-heavy layouts.

Afterward

Long-term Behavior

Stress seeing pending payments, guilt delaying settlements.

Avoidance, dependence on app, prioritizing familiar patterns.

Identified Patterns in Virtual Behavior

1. Over-Dependence on the App for Fairness

Users rely heavily on Splitwise to calculate, track, and validate fairness. The app becomes the “neutral judge,” reducing personal negotiation but increasing dependency on the system for accuracy.

3. Avoidance Behavior Due to Unsettled Payments

Many users delay opening the app because it displays pending dues, which triggers anxiety, guilt, or fear of confrontation. This leads to avoidance and procrastination.

5. Trust Transfer From People to App

Instead of trusting friends, users shift trust onto the app.
They believe: “If it’s on Splitwise, it must be correct.”
This reflects a strong reliance on system-based trust over interpersonal trust.

2. Emotional Discomfort Tied to Money

Financial exchanges evoke discomfort, guilt, or awkwardness - especially when reminding others to repay. This emotional sensitivity strongly shapes user behavior and decision-making.al judge,” reducing personal negotiation but increasing dependency on the system for accuracy.

4. Social Tension Caused by Repayment Delays

Late payments create subtle or direct interpersonal strain. Users feel judged when they delay payments but are quick to judge others for doing the same.

6. Use of Excuses to Justify Personal Delays

Users rationalize their own delayed repayments (“I forgot,” “I didn’t see the notification”), while interpreting others' delays as irresponsible—showcasing actor-observer bias.

Problem Definition

The app is too text-heavy and confusing, making it hard for users to understand and manage expenses easily.
There is no in-app payment option, so people forget offline payments, which causes confusion and arguments.
Users feel uncomfortable asking others for money, leading to delays and awkward interactions.
Seeing pending amounts creates stress, so many users avoid opening the app.

Opportunity Areas

Simplify language and improve clarity.
Introduce UPI-based in-app payment options.
Create gentle, socially comfortable reminder mechanisms.
Reduce cognitive load with visual summaries.
Support emotional comfort using friendly microcopy.
Reduce errors by auto-detecting or logging offline payments.

Conclusion

This research reveals that Splitwise is more than a financial tool - it is a space where psychology, emotions, and social dynamics overlap. Users depend on the app for fairness but struggle with stress, guilt, complex language, and missing payments. By addressing these emotional and usability gaps, Splitwise can enhance trust, reduce anxiety, and create a more supportive and intuitive experience for managing shared expenses.