#Principle
Judgment is shaped by predictable mental shortcuts, prior beliefs, framing, defaults, salience, and context.
#Why it matters
Interface decisions are never interpreted in a vacuum. Defaults can feel recommended, wording can frame outcomes, order can anchor perception, and prominent values can influence comparison. This category is broad, so Layr should avoid diagnosing a named bias without evidence. Its practical use is to detect when presentation systematically tilts a decision or when the product relies on an unrealistic assumption of perfectly rational behavior.
#Deeper design interpretation
Interfaces shape decisions through framing, defaults, order, salience, reference values, and language. These mechanisms can help users interpret complex choices, yet they can also tilt decisions in ways that users may not notice. Because “cognitive bias” is a broad family of effects rather than one single mechanism, Layr should avoid vague psychological diagnosis.
The useful design question is concrete: what does the presentation make easier to notice, assume, or accept? A default can imply recommendation. A first value can become an anchor. A warning can exaggerate perceived loss. A preselected option can reduce active consideration. These are observable design choices even when the user's internal response cannot be known.
Layr should describe the mechanism first and use psychological terminology only when it improves precision.
#What the agent should reason about
Inspect default states, copy symmetry, visual emphasis, ordering, reference prices, opt-in/opt-out effort, and disclosure placement. Give higher severity when the decision affects money, privacy, consent, access, or long-term commitment.
Do not infer that a user “was manipulated” from UI alone. Report the asymmetry and its plausible decision consequence.
#Common failure patterns
- Paid or privacy-affecting defaults are preselected without nearby explanation.
- One option uses emotionally positive copy while the alternative is framed as loss.
- Strike-through prices dominate without explaining the reference period or basis.
- Cancellation language is intentionally harder to parse than purchase language.
- The first or recommended option is emphasized without explaining the recommendation criteria.
#Audit questions
- Are alternatives described with comparable clarity and tone?
- Does any default carry material consequence?
- Are reference values and recommendations explained?
- Would a user understand the decision the same way if the order or visual emphasis changed?
#Example agent finding
High — Renewal consent is preselected and framed asymmetrically. “Keep my benefits” is selected by default while the alternative reads “Lose access,” and the renewal price appears below the fold. Make renewal state explicit, surface price and timing at the decision point, and use neutral parallel labels for both alternatives.
#Agent directive
Inspect how framing, defaults, order, emphasis, and prior context shape decisions. Describe the observable mechanism before naming a cognitive bias.
#Apply this when
- Pricing, consent, subscription, upgrades, onboarding defaults, comparison tables, risk communication, dashboards, and confirmation flows.
#Observable signals
- A default carries financial or privacy consequences that are not clearly explained.
- One option is framed with emotionally loaded language while alternatives are neutral.
- Reference values or strike-through prices dominate the decision without context.
- Opt-out paths are visually or linguistically harder to understand than opt-in paths.
- Ordering makes an arbitrary first value the comparison anchor.
#Recommended actions
- Present material consequences clearly and near the decision.
- Use neutral, parallel wording for meaningful alternatives.
- Make defaults explicit when they carry cost, privacy, or commitment.
- Preserve user agency and avoid using psychological effects to obscure tradeoffs.
#Do not over-apply
Do not label every preference or conversion pattern as bias. Identify the presentation mechanism and user consequence. Avoid speculative claims about a user's internal mental state.
#Example
Weak
A renewal checkbox is preselected and described as 'Keep my benefits' while the alternative says 'Lose access,' with the price disclosed far away.
Stronger
Renewal state, price, timing, and alternatives are presented in parallel language at the decision point.
#Evaluation notes
- Default severity: High for financial, privacy, or consent decisions; medium elsewhere.
- Typical confidence: Medium; the UI mechanism may be observable while the psychological response is inferred.
- Primary evidence: Default states, copy, ordering, emphasis, disclosure location, decision consequences.
- Related rules: Choice Overload, Von Restorff Effect, Peak-End Rule, Mental Model