When Friction Helps: Transaction Confirmation Improves Decision Quality in Blockchain Interactions
Eason Chen, Xinyi Tang, George Digkas, Dionysios Lougaris, John E. Naulty Jr, and Kostas Chalkias

TL;DR
This study reveals that transaction confirmation in blockchain interactions, while often seen as usability friction, actually enhances decision quality by serving as a cognitive checkpoint, despite reducing user convenience.
Contribution
The paper demonstrates that transaction confirmation improves decision accuracy in blockchain tasks, challenging the view of confirmation as merely usability friction.
Findings
Confirmation mode led to higher win rates and better move quality.
Participants preferred frictionless confirmation but performed worse without confirmation.
Confirmation enables self-correction before submission.
Abstract
In blockchain applications, transaction confirmation is often treated as usability friction to be minimized or removed. However, confirmation also marks the boundary between deliberation and irreversible commitment, suggesting it may play a functional role in human decision-making. To investigate this tension, we conducted an experiment using a blockchain-based Connect Four game with two interaction modes differing only in authorization flow: manual wallet confirmation (Confirmation Mode) versus auto-authorized delegation (Frictionless Mode). Although participants preferred Frictionless Mode and perceived better performance (N=109), objective performance was worse without confirmation in a counterbalanced deployment (Wave 2: win rate -11.8%, p=0.044; move quality -0.051, p=0.022). Analysis of canceled submissions suggests confirmation can enable pre-submission self-correction (N=66,…
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Taxonomy
TopicsBlockchain Technology Applications and Security · Personal Information Management and User Behavior · Mobile Crowdsensing and Crowdsourcing
