Shopping in the Dark: Effects of Platform Choice on Dark Pattern Recognition

Abstract

Dark patterns are user interfaces designed to trick users into doing things they might not otherwise do. Human psychological insights are carefully exploited by designers to craft these patterns. This study investigates the relation between dark pattern recognition and platform choice. An experiment was designed in which 54 participants performed a shopping task. In the website different dark pattern types were implemented, such as “Sneak into Basket”, “Toying with emotions” and “Trick Questions”. Results showed that mobile users are twice as likely to fall for one of the patterns. In addition, a significant correlation was found between falling for that same dark pattern and the age of users. The older the user, the more chance of falling for that pattern. Lastly it showed that the higher the website’s “honesty” is rated, the higher the “navigability” is rated.