The False Choice Dark Pattern
A dark pattern which threatens the credibility mobile apps
Disclosure: As of April 2017, I am now an employee of Spotify (and really love it!) This post was written before that time.
Background
I love Spotify, but I’ve recently discovered a new dark pattern while using their iOS app. This has existed for some time, but only recently did I decide to investigate what happens if the second of two presented choices is taken.
Before I get too deep, I want to state that other apps exist which also employ this pattern. Spotify is the app I use the most and seems to do this after most major updates so, regrettably, they “get to” hold the shame stick for the purposes of this article.
The Pattern
The pattern goes something like this: immediately after installation (preferably, after some amount of time actually using the app has passed), a prompt is displayed to the user which requests that they rate the app. The user’s choices are then displayed as follows:
- No thanks
- Rate 5 Stars
Why This is Wrong
This dark pattern is the UI embodiment of the “False Choice” logical fallacy. It assumes that only a binary action may be taken: in this case, doing nothing or giving the app a perfect rating. In truth, a user might rate the app anywhere from 1 to 4 stars! This segment of users is discouraged from participating in the feedback cycle when the UI is labeled in this manner. Instead, only users who genuinely feel the app deserved 5 stars could be reasonably expected to leave feedback.
We should therefore anticipate that app store ratings trend toward 5 star reviews:
After all, who (especially individuals who are less tech savvy) would risk accidentally rating an app 5 stars if they had opinions to the contrary?
