In class, we looked at two accounts of manipulation: according to Susser et al., manipulation involves “hidden influence”, whereas according to Robert Noggle, manipulation involves “leading somebody astray”. Your task is to assess which of these theories provides a better account of online manipulation by drawing on each theory to analyze the following example (assume that the “Stay in the Loop” box is checked by default):
You should, more specifically, submit a coherent piece of writing which answers the following:
- According to Susser et al. (2019), what is manipulation?
- On Susser et al.’s view, which features (if any) of the above example are manipulative?
- According to Noggle (1996), what is manipulation?
- On Noggle’s view, which features (if any) of the above example are manipulative?
- Which account of manipulation does a better job of accounting for all and only those features of the above interface that influence user behavior in morally problematic ways?
Word Limit: 1250 (Submissions which exceed 1250 words will be penalized by one third of a letter grade per 100 words. Citations do not count toward the word limit.)
Writing Requirements:
- This is a formal piece of writing but is not an essay. You do not need a formal introduction or conclusion and can mostly just answer the prompt.
- This time, however, you must have a thesis statement. You should explicitly state your thesis at the start of your paper by writing “Thesis:” and then stating your thesis.
- Your thesis is the central claim you are arguing for in your paper. In this case, your thesis is your answer to question (5) in summary form.
- After explicitly stating your thesis, you should present a single, coherent piece of writing that, by answering questions (1) – (5), defends your thesis.
This assignment is due the end of day after session 19.
