What Makes a Dark Pattern... Dark? Design Attributes, Normative Considerations, and Measurement Methods (2101.04843v1)

Abstract: There is a rapidly growing literature on dark patterns, user interface designs -- typically related to shopping or privacy -- that researchers deem problematic. Recent work has been predominantly descriptive, documenting and categorizing objectionable user interfaces. These contributions have been invaluable in highlighting specific designs for researchers and policymakers. But the current literature lacks a conceptual foundation: What makes a user interface a dark pattern? Why are certain designs problematic for users or society? We review recent work on dark patterns and demonstrate that the literature does not reflect a singular concern or consistent definition, but rather, a set of thematically related considerations. Drawing from scholarship in psychology, economics, ethics, philosophy, and law, we articulate a set of normative perspectives for analyzing dark patterns and their effects on individuals and society. We then show how future research on dark patterns can go beyond subjective criticism of user interface designs and apply empirical methods grounded in normative perspectives.

An Examination of Dark Patterns and Their Implications

The paper titled "What Makes a Dark Pattern... Dark?" by Arunesh Mathur, Jonathan Mayer, and Mihir Kshirsagar, published in the proceedings of CHI 2021, provides a comprehensive analysis of the concept of dark patterns in user interface design. The authors critically review the literature and categorize dark patterns, which are user interface designs deemed problematic in their manipulation of users, especially within contexts like shopping and privacy. This paper distinguishes itself by focusing not just on the description of such patterns but also on providing a normative framework for understanding their impact.

Key Contributions

1. Literature Review and Thematic Analysis: The authors begin by conducting a scoping review of the existing literature on dark patterns, primarily within the domain of Human--Computer Interaction (HCI). They identify that existing work lacks a cohesive definition, highlighting how dark patterns are addressed as a set of thematically related issues. They further consolidate various definitions and categorizations of dark patterns into themes related to modifying the user's decision-making architecture—specifically by altering the choice set available to users or through manipulation of information flow.
2. Normative Perspectives: Drawing from disciplines such as psychology, behavioral economics, ethics, philosophy, and law, the paper presents normative perspectives to analyze dark patterns more rigorously. It proposes four primary normative lenses: individual welfare, collective welfare, regulatory objectives, and individual autonomy. These lenses provide a structured approach for assessing the implications of dark patterns beyond their mere functional descriptions.
3. Implications for Future Research: The authors advocate for empirical research methodologies that are aligned with these normative perspectives to paper dark patterns. They propose specific methods, including experiments, surveys, and ethnographic studies, to evaluate the effects of dark patterns on users and to influence regulatory and design standards. The normative framework aims to bridge the gap between descriptive analyses of dark patterns and actionable enforcement against problematic designs.

Numerical and Empirical Findings

While this paper is more theoretical and analytical in nature, it grounds its recommendations in empirical and numerical findings from other studies. For instance, existing studies referenced within demonstrate how various designs, labeled as dark patterns, can significantly increase user engagement or consent rates—sometimes doubling them compared to neutral designs.

Implications and Future Developments

The implications of this research are substantial for both theoretical and practical domains. Theoretically, the normative perspectives enrich HCI literature by integrating interdisciplinary insights that allow for a nuanced understanding of dark patterns. Practically, the proposed frameworks enable practitioners to assess and potentially regulate user interface designs that manipulate user decision-making in unethical ways.

Looking to the future, this research suggests a path forward for designing user interfaces that are ethical by design. As AI continues to advance, the manipulation of user preferences may become even more sophisticated, necessitating robust empirical methods and normative guidelines to ensure that AI systems serve the users’ best interests while respecting their autonomy.

In conclusion, Mathur et al.'s work provides a crucial conceptual and analytical foundation for the paper of dark patterns. By framing dark patterns within a set of well-defined normative considerations and suggesting empirical methods for assessment, the paper not only enhances scholarly understanding but also informs regulatory and industry practices, paving the way for more ethical design choices in digital interfaces.