Choice architecture steers decisions even when all options remain free
Evidence
Even when code is written to give choice in some aspects of the software’s use, the choices themselves and the order in which they are presented represent a “choice architecture” that encourages certain types of user behavior. As Siva Vaidhyanathan (2012) argues, “the structure and order of the choices offered to us profoundly influence the decisions we make … If a system is designed to privilege a particular choice … people will tend to choose that option more than the alternatives, even though they have an entirely free choice” (p. 88). — James D. Kirylo (ed.), Reinventing Pedagogy of the Oppressed, 530
Categorization
- XREF: connects to: Opting out of big-tech tools violates modern social norms — James D. Kirylo (ed.), Reinventing Pedagogy of the Oppressed:…, 538; Rational choice assumes preferences stay stable across equivalent framings — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 2461; Choice among options within a rigged system is not genuine agency (+4 more)
Broader Connections
- Rational choice assumes preferences stay stable across equivalent framings
#contradicts(0.85) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 2461 - Framing a decision shifts the reference point and thereby changes risk preference
#expands(0.80) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 2415 - Rational choice theory rests on coherence and invariance assumptions
#expands(0.75) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 2407 - Choice among options within a rigged system is not genuine agency
#expands(0.70)