Going Beyond Classic Nudges: Comparing the Effectiveness of Information Nudges Combined with Commitment Devices in Lowering Meat Consumption

Abstract

This paper makes a novel attempt at understanding the effect of a classic information nudge combined with a reflective commitment device in influencing the dietary choices of individuals. In doing so, it undertakes a field experiment with an unchanged subject pool at LSE Bankside Residential Hall. This study is the first to use a combination of classic nudges and reflective devices in lowering meat consumption; it does so by incorporating a behavioural change intervention amongst the subjects and assessing their revealed dietary choices. The study relies on predictions from the model of impure altruism; while the information nudge is effective on 93% of the sample, it has a boomerang effect on the remaining 7% as suggested by the cluster analysis. Furthermore, its effects quickly fade out when the nudge is retracted. However, on adding a commitment device to it, the treatment effects on the sample are retained. The findings of this paper are critical in understanding how behavioural policies can be designed to induce persistent pro- environmental behaviour amongst individuals. Although the results must be verified in a larger sample setting, this demand led solution offers a unique way to reduce meat related carbon emissions.