Restriktivt, impulsivt och effektivt? : En studie om hur dark patterns påverkar konsumenter vid näthandel

Sammanfattning: Not all designs have the user's best in mind. Dark patterns are web design whose goal is to exploit, deceive and negatively affect the consumer. Based on this, the purpose of this study is to give consumers an increased understanding of how they can be affected by dark patterns in their everyday lives. The question "How effective are dark patterns in e-commerce in order to negatively affect consumers' decisions?" was investigated through the use of a web-based survey. Through this survey, the respondents answered questions about their habits and experiences regarding situations where dark patterns are common on e-commerce sites. The study has focused on dark patterns called hidden costs, hidden information, countdown timers, limited-time messages and low stock messages. The survey has revealed that hidden costs was the dark pattern that most effectively fulfills its purpose of negatively affecting the consumer. Limited-time messages were also shown to have a clear impact on consumers' decision-making when purchasing online. Countdown timers as well as low stock messages were shown to have low efficiency in affecting consumers, meanwhile, data regarding hidden information could not show reliable results and needs further research.