Nudges Impacting Sense of Competence to Promote Enrollment in Ballet Class: A Survey Experiment on Framing and Visual Designs

Abstract

ABSTRACT Evidence that physical activities are good for health and well-being is well established. However, the intrinsic motivation for many people is not high enough to generate active engagement. A simple way to encourage enrollment in ballet classes is to make course descriptions more attractive by combining textual impulses with before-and-after photos representing progress that is feasible in case of participation. Such nudges, which influence sense of competence, are yet understudied. By drawing on self-determination and self-efficacy theories as well as the visual preference heuristic, this article describes the results from a survey experiment in a Swiss dance school. It demonstrates that choices are stimulated when both visual and framing inputs are simultaneously encountered, especially for individuals with low intrinsic motivation “to know and to accomplish.” This evidence gives insights for dance organizations when advertising classes and employs an innovative means to address insufficient enrollment in healthy activities.