conflictingcue
nounUK /kənˈflɪktɪŋ kjuː/
US /kənˈflɪktɪŋ kjuː/
A conflicting cue is a signal that tells you to do one thing while another signal tells you to do something else.
The traffic light showed a conflicting cue, with green and red lights on at the same time.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. In psychology, a stimulus that sends two opposite messages at once, making a choice hard.
The conflicting cue of a smiling face with an angry voice confused the child.
3. In animal training, two commands given together that point in different directions.
The dog froze because the handler gave a conflicting cue to sit and to come.
4. In design, two visual hints that disagree, such as a button that looks clickable but is disabled.
Users hesitated because the interface gave a conflicting cue about what was tappable.