Obviously there is that chance. But just as obviously, someone who just wants to print their homework is almost always way more concerned with their printer “working” than they are with it printing “perfectly black” ink.
Anyone who runs out of color ink presumably could run out of black ink or run out of paper, too, because they weren’t keeping necessary supplies on hand.
So really the only cognitive adjustment they need to make is to tell themselves “this printer requires two cartridges to operate” rather than making a blind assumption that it will work with just one.
I would be surprised if this wasn’t already disclosed in the user manual as well.
The psychological justifications don’t matter. This is how the machine works. If you don’t want that machine then you buy a different printer.
Your steadfast refusal to acknowledge this obvious point makes me wonder whether you work in the hp inkjet division designing ways to piss off customers. I suspect you understand it quite well, though, and are just enjoying being a contrarian.