Frictionless design aims to minimize cognitive load, but it can inadvertently trigger several psychological mechanisms that undermine agency. One primary driver is the reduction of System 2 thinking. According to dual process theory, seamless interfaces encourage users to rely on System 1, which is fast, instinctive, and emotional. When decisions happen automatically without conscious deliberation, the user bypasses the reflective evaluation required to feel truly in control of their choices.
\nAdditionally, highly optimized flows can lead to choice architecture bias. When a path is too smooth, it often funnels users toward a single
