Consumer Behavior

Multi-level Marketing Company (MLM)

• A business where individuals earn money solely from their own sales.

• A business model that allows individuals to earn from their own sales and from the sales of their recruits.

• A company that sells products exclusively through retail stores.

• A type of business that only focuses on online sales.

Unit Price

• The total cost of multiple items combined.

• The cost for one item or measurement that allows it to be easily compared to other similar products to evaluate which is a better deal.

• The price of an item after discounts and promotions are applied.

• The average price of items in a specific category.

Confirmshaming

• A technique used to encourage users to share personal information.

• A dark pattern where the option to decline an offer is worded to shame the user into compliance.

• A method of marketing that relies on positive reinforcement.

• A strategy to enhance user experience by simplifying choices.

Authority Bias

• The tendency to ignore the opinions of authority figures.

• The tendency to attribute greater accuracy to the opinion of an authority figure (unrelated to its content) and be more influenced by that opinion.

• The tendency to rely solely on personal experience rather than expert advice.

• The tendency to question the validity of all opinions regardless of the source.

Hidden Fees

• Additional charges added on to the cost of a good or service that a consumer may not necessarily be aware of at the time of purchase.

• Discounts offered to consumers at the point of sale.

• Fees that are clearly stated before the purchase is made.

• Charges that are refunded after the purchase is completed.

Friend Spam

• A marketing strategy that encourages users to share products with friends.

• A dark pattern in which a product asks for your email or social media permissions and then sends messages to all of your contacts pretending to be you.

• A method of sending unsolicited messages to random users online.

• A technique used to gain followers on social media by spamming posts.

Buy Nothing Project

• A global network of community-based groups that encourages giving (or recycling) consumer goods and services instead of buying them.

• A commercial initiative aimed at promoting consumerism and shopping.

• A government program that provides financial assistance for purchasing goods.

• A social media campaign focused on advertising new products.

Default Upgrade

• A marketing strategy that offers discounts on products.

• A dark pattern where checkboxes for product, service, or shipping upgrades are ticked off by default, causing the user to pay higher-than-advertised prices.

• A method of improving user experience by simplifying choices.

• A technique used to enhance product visibility on e-commerce platforms.

Phishing Scam

• A type of scam in which personal information is requested, typically through an illegitimate email.

• A legitimate request for personal information from a trusted source.

• A method of securing personal information through encryption.

• A type of online shopping fraud involving fake websites.

Romance Scam

• A type of scam involving fake online relationships to extract money.

• A legitimate online dating service.

• A method of promoting romantic novels online.

• A type of investment scam targeting couples.