  Manipulation defines many of our experiences as a consumer, including subtle
nudges and overt advertising campaigns that seek to gain our attention and
money. With the advent of digital services that can continuously optimize
online experiences to favor stakeholder requirements, increasingly designers
and developers make use of "dark patterns"---forms of manipulation that prey on
human psychology---to encourage certain behaviors and discourage others in ways
that present unequal value to the end user. In this paper, we provide an
account of end user perceptions of manipulation that builds on and extends
notions of dark patterns. We report on the results of a survey of users
conducted in English and Mandarin Chinese (n=169), including follow-up
interviews from nine survey respondents. We used a card sorting method to
support thematic analysis of responses from each cultural context, identifying
both qualitatively-supported insights to describe end users' felt experiences
of manipulative products, and a continuum of manipulation. We further support
this analysis through a quantitative analysis of survey results and the
presentation of vignettes from the interviews. We conclude with implications
for future research, considerations for public policy, and guidance on how to
further empower and give users autonomy in their experiences with digital
services.
