The double bind effect and buttons

David Di Sipio
theuxblog.com
2 min readFeb 26, 2017

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The aim of this post is to share one bit of research that you can apply to creating a better online experience.

The double bind effect explains when people receive two or more conflicting message and one contradicts the other. You may have even experienced this yourself when ticking terms and conditions boxes. This creates a situation in which people may feel anxious, uncertain and confused.

What this means for us? Avoid putting people in this situation at all costs as this can diminish the credibility of the product and or service. Following on from the buttons example above, best practice would suggest labelling them with what they do and adding a clear message of what happens once they are clicked.

Some good examples of this can be seen here;

LinkedIn

Taken from LinkedIn

Curry’s PC World

Taken from Dark Patterns

Follow the UX and Psychology Community @uxandpsych — sharing research on what makes people tick to create better online experiences. We also run a MeetUp once a month in Melbourne!

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David Di Sipio
David Di Sipio

Written by David Di Sipio

Psychologist | Experience Designer | Founder @uxpsyc | Coach | My approach is grounded in research, data and ethical practices.