Theorizing Deception: A Scoping Review of Theory in Research on Dark Patterns and Deceptive Design

TL;DR

This paper reviews the use of theory in research on dark patterns and deceptive design, highlighting gaps and proposing foundational theories to strengthen future studies in this growing field.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of existing theories in DP research and advocates for integrating diverse theoretical frameworks to advance understanding.

Findings

Identified key theories used in DP research

Highlighted epistemological gaps in current studies

Proposed broad theoretical foundations for future research

Abstract

The issue of dark patterns and deceptive designs (DPs) in everyday interfaces and interactions continues to grow. DPs are manipulative and malicious elements within user interfaces that deceive users into making unintended choices. In parallel, research on DPs has significantly increased over the past two decades. As the field has matured, epistemological gaps have also become a salient and pressing concern. In this scoping review, we assessed the academic work so far -- 51 papers between 2014 to 2023 -- to identify the state of theory in DP research. We identified the key theories employed, examined how these theories have been referenced, and call for enhancing the incorporation of theory into DP research. We also propose broad theoretical foundations to establish a comprehensive and solid base for contextualizing and informing future DP research from a variety of theoretical scopes and lenses.