Trick question
Double negative controls marketing
A fictional signup asks users to tick “Do not untick if you do not want to miss offers”, making the resulting marketing choice hard to predict.
Individual HTML example · Interface interference
Reversed wording in cancellation survey
A fictional cancellation dialog asks “Are you sure you don’t want us not to keep your plan active?” before displaying yes and no buttons.
This is an original fictional comparison. It depicts no real business and is not a regulator finding, statutory category or legal safe harbour.
Reversed wording in cancellation survey
A fictional cancellation dialog asks “Are you sure you don’t want us not to keep your plan active?” before displaying yes and no buttons.
One last question. A double negative separates the button labels from their actual outcomes.. Yes / No. End plan on 30 September
Choose the account outcome. Each action names the result and effective date.. End plan on 30 September. Yes / No. What happens next, expanded: Activating “End plan on 30 September” produces the outcome stated on the control.
Why the first version can mislead: The presentation changes what the user can notice or predict at the cancellation decision. The problematic state shows: “A double negative separates the button labels from their actual outcomes.” Its influence should be tested by comparing the consequence and usability of “Yes / No” with “End plan on 30 September”. The subscriber may preserve the plan accidentally because neither answer has a predictable consequence.
What a fairer design does: Replace yes/no answers with explicit actions that state whether the plan ends or continues.
Show annotated differences (4)
Potentially problematic version
- A double negative separates the button labels from their actual outcomes.Why this state matters: The presentation changes what the user can notice or predict at the cancellation decision. The problematic state shows: “A double negative separates the button labels from their actual outcomes.” Its influence should be tested by comparing the consequence and usability of “Yes / No” with “End plan on 30 September”. The subscriber may preserve the plan accidentally because neither answer has a predictable consequence.
- End plan on 30 SeptemberReview prompt: Do “Yes / No” and “End plan on 30 September” receive comparable prominence and explain their consequences before activation?
Neutral alternative
- Each action names the result and effective date.Fairer design: Replace yes/no answers with explicit actions that state whether the plan ends or continues.
- What happens next, expanded: Activating “End plan on 30 September” produces the outcome stated on the control.Review prompt: Can the dialog be dismissed, what action does each control trigger, and what later state confirms or contradicts “Negation, label structure or inconsistent conventions make that interpretation materially ambiguous”?
Review questions (3)
- Do “Yes / No” and “End plan on 30 September” receive comparable prominence and explain their consequences before activation?
- Can the dialog be dismissed, what action does each control trigger, and what later state confirms or contradicts “Negation, label structure or inconsistent conventions make that interpretation materially ambiguous”?
- What neutral rendering or comprehension result would falsify the classification, particularly in light of “minor stylistic awkwardness with unambiguous outcome”?
Complete practice context
How this example relates to Trick question
A question or control uses confusing, reversed or leading semantics so the user's likely interpretation may not match the resulting choice. This is a design and research taxonomy for learning and evidence review, not a statutory offence label or an automatic finding that an interface is unlawful.
The full guide explains inclusion and exclusion criteria, potential harms, fairer design, evidence questions and separate Australian legal information layers. The example page isolates one scenario so it can be shared and discussed without reproducing the complete library on one page.
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Sources and provenance for this example
Evidence base
Sources
- Dark commercial patternsOrganisation for Economic Co-operation and Development · Secondary · checked 2026-09-14 · OECD Digital Economy Papers No. 336
- Competition and Consumer Amendment (Unfair Trading Practices) Act 2026Federal Register of Legislation · Primary · checked 2026-09-14 · C2026A00064