  Dark patterns utilize interface elements to trick users into performing
unwanted actions. Online shopping websites often employ these manipulative
mechanisms so as to increase their potential customer base, to boost their
sales, or to optimize their advertising efforts. Although dark patterns are
often successful, they clearly inhibit positive user experiences. Particularly,
with respect to customers' perceived annoyance and trust put into a given
brand, they may have negative effects. To investigate respective connections
between the use of dark patterns, users' perceived level of annoyance and their
expressed brand trust, we conducted an experiment-based survey. We implemented
two versions of a fictitious online shop; i.e. one which used five different
types of dark patterns and a similar one without such manipulative user
interface elements. A total of $n=204$ participants were then forwarded to one
of the two shops (approx. $2/3$ to the shop which used the dark patterns) and
asked to buy a specific product. Subsequently, we measured participants'
perceived annoyance level, their expressed brand trust and their affinity for
technology. Results show a higher level of perceived annoyance with those who
used the dark pattern version of the online shop. Also, we found a significant
connection between perceived annoyance and participants' expressed brand trust.
A connection between participants' affinity for technology and their ability to
recognize and consequently counter dark patterns, however, is not supported by
our data.
