Exploring the cognitive and emotional impact of deceptive patterns: an EEG, eye-tracking, and sentiment analysis of user experience

Abstract This study investigates the cognitive and emotional impacts of specific “Deceptive Patterns” in user interface design on well-known online platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, Salesforce, Eventbrite, and PayPal. The focus is on two types of deceptive patterns, “hard to cancel” and “hidden subscription” practices. Employing an integrated methodology of electroencephalogram (EEG), eye-tracking, and sentiment analysis, this research analyzes how these patterns influence user behaviour, attention, and emotional responses. The study utilized EEG to measure cognitive load as users interacted with “hard to cancel” interfaces revealing that these platforms increase cognitive demands, inducing greater mental effort and frustration. Eye-tracking data demonstrated that platforms with more transparent mechanisms effectively captured and held user attention on the Terms and Conditions as the key elements, thereby fostering user trust and enhancing transparency. Sentiment analysis further assessed users’ emotional responses, underscoring the positive association between transparent interfaces and user satisfaction. This research highlights the importance of ethical design practices that prioritize user autonomy and transparency, offering a unique methodological contribution through the combined use of EEG, eye-tracking, and sentiment analysis to comprehensively capture cognitive and emotional responses.