Nasty choice architecture — the prevalence of dark patterns

We may think we exercise free choice when we are making decisions. But as my colleague Eric Johnson points out, the structure of our choice architecture actually has a huge influence on the eventual outcome. It isn’t surprising, therefore, that some e-commerce retailers tilt the odds in their own favor.

Choice architecture — the designs that influence how we choose

My colleague, Eric Johnson, has written a terrific book called The Elements of Choice in which he points out that “choice architects” have a huge impact on the decisions that are eventually made. By understanding and influencing the path people go through to come to an eventual decision, choice architects have an outsized impact on the outcomes we experience.

Unlike the utility-maximizing agents beloved by economic theories, behavioral scientists have long pointed out that people aren’t particularly rational when it comes to decision-making. You can create an entire career in the behavioral sciences by identifying and getting known for the discovery of a particular bias! For a great list of all the ways our brains depart from the rational, check out this extensive list.

Heuristics and the creation of a plausible path