Thesis Defence: Exploring Ethics and Trust in Persuasive Technologies

Parinda Rahman, supervised by Dr. Ifeoma Adaji, will defend their thesis titled “Exploring Ethics and Trust in Persuasive Technologies” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Computer Science.

An abstract for Parinda Rahman’s thesis is included below.

Defences are open to all members of the campus community as well as the general public. Registration is not required for in-person defences.

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Abstract

Persuasive Technologies (PTs) are designed to influence user behaviour and decision-making through non-coercive means. While they offer potential benefits across domains such as health, education, and commerce, concerns have emerged around ethics, trust, and the growing use of dark patterns, which are manipulative and deceptive design strategies. This thesis explores the intersection of ethics and trust in PTs, aiming to understand how ethical design factors—such as transparency, autonomy, consent, and data privacy and security—impact user trust and perception. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, including systematic literature reviews, dark pattern analysis across mobile applications, user studies using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), and the design and evaluation of prototypes. Findings reveal that transparency, autonomy, consent, data privacy, and security are key factors that affect ethical perception. The findings also reveal the widespread presence of dark patterns, particularly in shopping applications. The results from the PLS-SEM show that autonomy and security are key ethical factors that influence trust in persuasive technologies. Demographic factors- including age, gender, and technological expertise- significantly influence trust perceptions. Excessive gamification and lack of transparency were shown to diminish trust. The study provides actionable design guidelines that emphasize the importance of user-centred, ethically aligned design practices. By highlighting the non-universality of design recommendations across user groups, this research contributes to the development of persuasive technologies that are not only effective but also trustworthy and ethical.