Deceptive Patterns
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Illuminating Muscle Memory’s Sinister Side: A Social Media Case Study

Author
Mariliza Kontogeorgou, C. van Nimwegen, Almila Akdag Salah
Date
19 Sept 2023
Publisher
European Conference on Cognitive Ergonomics
Focus
HCI & Psychology
Category
Academic Scholar

This paper designs a user study examining speed and accuracy of using a newly changed interface which showed slower reaction time and more errors, and concludes that in specific UX interface changes muscle memory can be applied as a dark pattern.

When a task is repeated, it becomes part of procedural memory. This type of memory dedicated to movement is called “muscle memory”, which allows one to perform actions unconsciously. Within the context of social media, muscle memory builds up if one uses SM applications frequently. In this paper, we investigate the effects of muscle memory within Instagram, and report the following findings: We designed a user study examining speed and accuracy of using a newly changed interface which showed slower reaction time and more errors. Combining these results with users’ perceived feelings lead us to conclude that in specific UX interface changes muscle memory can be applied as a dark pattern.