Accepting cookies: Nudging, deceptive patterns and personal preference

IF 9 1区心理学 Q1 PSYCHOLOGY, EXPERIMENTAL

Computers in Human Behavior Pub Date : 2025-03-10 DOI:10.1016/j.chb.2025.108641

Frank Papenmeier , Josephine Halama , Carl Reichert

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

We performed two experiments to investigate the impact of external and internal choice factors on participants' cookie acceptance behavior. As external choice factors, we manipulated the effort required to navigate cookie consent options and the highlighting of accept or reject buttons in cookie consent banners. As internal choice factors, we measured user-related factors such as privacy concerns, age, or preferences in rational thinking and experiential thinking. Our first experiment measured participants' cookie acceptance behavior for a single cookie banner ,and in our second experiment, we repeatedly measured participants’ cookie acceptance behavior across twelve websites with cookie banners. We observed a strong influence of external choice factors on cookie acceptance behavior across both experiments. The influence of the measured internal choice factors was more nuanced, such as rational thinking moderating the influence of button highlighting, or privacy concerns and age being related to cookie acceptance behavior in our second experiment. Experiment 2 revealed that about two-thirds of our participants showed a stable cookie acceptance behavior of either always accepting cookies or always rejecting cookies, further supporting the role of internal choice factors on cookie acceptance behavior. Our findings underscore the importance of design in cookie consent banners and the role of individual differences for privacy-related decisions.

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我们进行了两项实验，研究外部和内部选择因素对参与者接受 cookie 行为的影响。作为外部选择因素，我们操纵了浏览 cookie 同意选项所需的精力，以及 cookie 同意横幅中接受或拒绝按钮的高亮度。作为内部选择因素，我们测量了与用户相关的因素，如隐私问题、年龄或理性思维和体验思维的偏好。我们的第一个实验测量了参与者对单个 cookie 横幅的 cookie 接受行为，而在第二个实验中，我们在 12 个带有 cookie 横幅的网站上反复测量了参与者的 cookie 接受行为。在这两个实验中，我们都观察到了外部选择因素对 cookie 接受行为的强烈影响。所测量的内部选择因素的影响则更为细微，例如理性思维调节了按钮突出显示的影响，或者在第二次实验中，隐私顾虑和年龄与 cookie 接受行为有关。实验 2 显示，约三分之二的参与者表现出稳定的 cookie 接受行为，要么始终接受 cookie，要么始终拒绝 cookie，这进一步证明了内部选择因素对 cookie 接受行为的影响。我们的研究结果强调了设计 cookie 同意横幅的重要性，以及个体差异在隐私相关决策中的作用。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Computers in Human Behavior Multiple-

CiteScore

19.10

自引率

4.00%

发文量

381

审稿时长

40 days

期刊介绍： Computers in Human Behavior is a scholarly journal that explores the psychological aspects of computer use. It covers original theoretical works, research reports, literature reviews, and software and book reviews. The journal examines both the use of computers in psychology, psychiatry, and related fields, and the psychological impact of computer use on individuals, groups, and society. Articles discuss topics such as professional practice, training, research, human development, learning, cognition, personality, and social interactions. It focuses on human interactions with computers, considering the computer as a medium through which human behaviors are shaped and expressed. Professionals interested in the psychological aspects of computer use will find this journal valuable, even with limited knowledge of computers.