The rise of e-commerce, gaming, and social networking sites has exposed the use of manipulative designs (MDs), or “dark patterns,” which exploit users’ cognitive biases to benefit companies at the users’ expense. While previous research has classified MDs and explored their impact, there has been limited focus on how to warn and educate users to recognize and resist these tactics. To address this gap, we conducted a controlled study with 135 participants, using a Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) survey to understand what motivates people to learn about manipulative designs (MDs). We also tested two persuasive strategies, based on Cialdini’s principles of social influence and authority, to gauge their effectiveness in raising awareness about MDs.
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Enhancing User Awareness of Manipulative Designs: A Study on Persuasive Strategies for Mobile App Platforms
This study highlights the potential of persuasive interventions in improving user protection against manipulative designs (MDs) on mobile app distribution platforms and suggests that implementing such strategies can increase accountability, transparency, and MD awareness among users, helping them avoid exploitation.