Känner du dig manipulerad?
(2023) FEKH29 20222Department of Business Administration
- Abstract
- The purpose of this essay is to examine how users experience ‘dark pattern marketing’ from an ethical standpoint, and if it makes a difference if the users are aware of the phenomenon. ‘Dark pattern marketing’ is - in short terms - a marketing approach that applies a user interface that has been carefully crafted to trick and manipulate users into doing things they did not intend to do, or discouraging behavior that's bad for the company. This could in the end potentially also “harm” the user in different ways. This essay uses Terry Clark's theory on social reflexivity, the association for computing machinery (ACM) code of ethics and Gray’s definition of dark patterns to analyze and examine users' experiences, thoughts and reactions to the... (More)
- The purpose of this essay is to examine how users experience ‘dark pattern marketing’ from an ethical standpoint, and if it makes a difference if the users are aware of the phenomenon. ‘Dark pattern marketing’ is - in short terms - a marketing approach that applies a user interface that has been carefully crafted to trick and manipulate users into doing things they did not intend to do, or discouraging behavior that's bad for the company. This could in the end potentially also “harm” the user in different ways. This essay uses Terry Clark's theory on social reflexivity, the association for computing machinery (ACM) code of ethics and Gray’s definition of dark patterns to analyze and examine users' experiences, thoughts and reactions to the phenomenon. The ACM code of ethics constitutes an ethical framework that web developers and companies are recommended to use when creating a design. We have therefore used this code in order to explain what can be considered to be ethically correct in marketing and web market design. We have implemented a qualitative method, where we have collected empirical data from five different observations and interviews with young adults.
Understanding the possible outcomes of this marketing approach becomes important, especially since there has been a great growth of digital marketing in the last few years. This essay establishes that dark pattern marketing manifests itself in many different forms on the internet and is therefore an extensive phenomenon, whereas many individuals are not aware of when they are exposed or are interfering with this user's interface. This is because dark patterns are meant to be disguised, and avoid concerning thoughts and reflection from their users.
In summary, this essay concludes that the participants agreed that a design involving dark pattern marketing is considered unethical. This is because many of the patterns violated the participants requirements for ethical marketing which also corresponded with violations of the guidelines stated in the ACMs code of ethics. The participants' standpoints of dark pattern marketing being unethical increased when they realized how and when they were being exposed to the technique, and by learning more about the phenomenon's different features. Social reflexivity (Clark, 2015) advocates that understanding that a marketing approach exists is the best way to counteract its influence. Therefore, informing users about the implementation, extent and sources of dark pattern marketing becomes an essential aspect when trying to decrease the phenomenon's influence on users. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9110783
- author
- Sahlin, Emma LU ; Ödman, Evelina LU and Nyman, Kim LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- FEKH29 20222
- year
- 2023
- type
- M2 - Bachelor Degree
- subject
- keywords
- dark pattern etik social reflexivitet användargränssnitt användare
- language
- Swedish
- id
- 9110783
- date added to LUP
- 2023-02-15 09:32:32
- date last changed
- 2023-02-15 09:32:32
@misc{9110783,
abstract = {{The purpose of this essay is to examine how users experience ‘dark pattern marketing’ from an ethical standpoint, and if it makes a difference if the users are aware of the phenomenon. ‘Dark pattern marketing’ is - in short terms - a marketing approach that applies a user interface that has been carefully crafted to trick and manipulate users into doing things they did not intend to do, or discouraging behavior that's bad for the company. This could in the end potentially also “harm” the user in different ways. This essay uses Terry Clark's theory on social reflexivity, the association for computing machinery (ACM) code of ethics and Gray’s definition of dark patterns to analyze and examine users' experiences, thoughts and reactions to the phenomenon. The ACM code of ethics constitutes an ethical framework that web developers and companies are recommended to use when creating a design. We have therefore used this code in order to explain what can be considered to be ethically correct in marketing and web market design. We have implemented a qualitative method, where we have collected empirical data from five different observations and interviews with young adults.
Understanding the possible outcomes of this marketing approach becomes important, especially since there has been a great growth of digital marketing in the last few years. This essay establishes that dark pattern marketing manifests itself in many different forms on the internet and is therefore an extensive phenomenon, whereas many individuals are not aware of when they are exposed or are interfering with this user's interface. This is because dark patterns are meant to be disguised, and avoid concerning thoughts and reflection from their users.
In summary, this essay concludes that the participants agreed that a design involving dark pattern marketing is considered unethical. This is because many of the patterns violated the participants requirements for ethical marketing which also corresponded with violations of the guidelines stated in the ACMs code of ethics. The participants' standpoints of dark pattern marketing being unethical increased when they realized how and when they were being exposed to the technique, and by learning more about the phenomenon's different features. Social reflexivity (Clark, 2015) advocates that understanding that a marketing approach exists is the best way to counteract its influence. Therefore, informing users about the implementation, extent and sources of dark pattern marketing becomes an essential aspect when trying to decrease the phenomenon's influence on users.}},
author = {{Sahlin, Emma and Ödman, Evelina and Nyman, Kim}},
language = {{swe}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Känner du dig manipulerad?}},
year = {{2023}},
}