Different Shades of Nudges: Moderating Effects of Individual Characteristics and States on the Effectiveness of Nudges during a Fast-Food Order

Irina Dolgopolova,Jutta Roosen,Alessia Toscano

doi:10.3390/su132313347

Irina Dolgopolova, Jutta Roosen + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/su132313347

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Abstract

Nudges, or subtle changes to a choice environment, are increasingly used in online food ordering platforms to improve dietary choices and reduce calorie intake. We report the results of an experiment aimed at nudging young adults to reduce calories in a fast-food order (N = 994). The nudging interventions used were: an order assistant, a color-coded system, and a combination of the order assistant and color-coded system. We hypothesized that participants’ characteristics (sex, BMI, education) and states (positive affect, negative affect, hunger) moderate the effectiveness of nudges. Our analysis shows that the effect of nudges is slightly increasing at higher BMI levels. In the combined treatment, hunger and negative affect significantly moderate the effect of nudges. We do not observe the moderating effects of participants’ sex, educational level, and positive affect in any of the treatments.

Highlights

body mass index (BMI), education) and states moderate the effectiveness of nudges
This study is aimed at investigating the heterogeneity of nudging effects expressed by individual characteristics and states of experiment participants
It is well established that sex differences exist in calorie consumption, with women consuming fewer calories than men [40], a result found in fast food environments [41]

Summary

Introduction

BMI, education) and states (positive affect, negative affect, hunger) moderate the effectiveness of nudges. We do not observe the moderating effects of participants’ sex, educational level, and positive affect in any of the treatments. Different Shades of Nudges: Moderating Effects of Keywords: young adults; food choices; nudge; BMI; negative emotions. Among many decisions in the digital environment, food choices are often made using a screen interface, for example, when ordering food online. Online choice environments are susceptible to similar biases in decision-making processes as offline environments. When it comes to food, choices are often made without elaborate decision making and are prone to the influence of situational and psychophysiological factors [6]

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