The effects of dark patterns

Dark patterns are elements in apps and websites that can make users do things they do not really wish to do, e.g., agreeing to cookies (see https://www.darkpatterns.org). Many different dark patterns exist. In this project, you will zoom in on a particular dark pattern (e.g., disguised ads, hidden subscriptions, low-stock messages, or countdown timers) and study the effect of this dark pattern on user behaviour. For instance, you might use an online experiment to compare user behaviour on a website with and without the dark pattern or conduct lab experiments to study their effects. You can also look into users' awareness and experience of dark patterns.

The following paper by Paul Graßl, Hanna Schraffenberger, Frederik Zuiderveen Borgesius & Moniek Buijzen illustrates this kind of project. It started as a Master thesis project and later was continued as a research project at Radboud University (additional time and effort went into it): https://www.jdsr.io/articles/2021/2/8/dark-and-bright-patterns-in-cookie-consent-requests