Effectiveness Of Nudges Research Articles

Choice architecture meets motivation science: How stimulus availability interacts with internal factors in shaping the desire for food

Recent research on choice architecture has highlighted the role of external aspects such as stimulus proximity or availability on consumption. How such external factors interact with internal, intraindividual factors, however, is very poorly understood. Here we show how the wanting for palatable food emerges from the interplay of one key external factor, availability, and two key internal factors central to motivation science, need state and learning history. Across three experiments in the food domain, we find converging evidence for a main effect of stimulus availability which is qualified in theoretically predicted ways by a three-way interaction such that food desire peaks when the availability of tempting food stimuli is accompanied by high need states and a positive learning experience. A pooled analysis across the three studies supported this general conclusion. We conclude that nudging effects are strongest when external factors of choice architecture synergize with internal factors in critical ways.

The effects of green nudges on consumer valuation of bio-based plastic packaging

Plastic packaging is widely associated with negative environmental consequences, which is why the food industry is increasingly interested in pro-environmental packaging alternatives- such as bio-based plastic. As the market share for bio-based plastic packaging is still small, strategies to raise consumer awareness and willingness to pay (WTP) are needed. This study integrates insights from environmental psychology and behavioral economics into choice models to assess which green nudges are most effective to increase consumer WTP for bio-based packaging. We tested a total of four strategies by providing consumers with nature pictures, reflection questions, information on bio-based plastics and normative information. Using a sample of 1019 German consumers, our results indicate that the strongest effects are generated when the nudging strategy matches the characteristic of consumers' cognitive style. For example, providing nature pictures only seems to increase WTP for bio-based packaging when consumers base their decision on their emotions and intuition. On the other hand, the strategies that provide normative information and activate the reflection about environmental consequences of plastics are most effective for consumers who enjoy cognitive deliberation.

The effects of nudging and pricing on healthy food purchasing behavior in a virtual supermarket setting: a randomized experiment

BackgroundEvidence on what strategies - or combination of strategies - are most effective and equitable in promoting healthier diets is needed. This study examined the efficacy of nudging and pricing strategies on increasing healthy food purchases and the potential differential effect by socio-economic position (SEP) among Dutch adults in a virtual supermarket.MethodsA randomized study design was conducted within a virtual supermarket (SN VirtuMart). Participants were exposed to five within-subject study conditions (control, nudging, pricing, price salience and price salience with nudging) and randomized to one of three between-subject study arms (a 25% price increase on unhealthy products, a 25% discount on healthy products, or a 25% price increase and discount). In total, 455 participants of low and high SEP (using either education or income as proxy) were randomized to conduct their weekly shopping in a virtual supermarket for five consecutive weeks. The primary outcome included the percentage of healthy purchases. Data were analyzed using linear mixed models.ResultsIn total, 346 (76%) adults completed all five shops within the SN VirtuMart. Median age was 32.5, 49.2% had high education and 32.8% had high income. Out of the 12 conditions, four conditions were statistically significantly different from the control condition. Nudging and non-salient pricing strategies alone did not statistically significantly increase healthy food purchases, whereas a combination of salient price increases and discounts led to an increase in the percentage of healthy food purchases (B 4.5, 95%CI 2.6; 6.4). Combining salient pricing and nudging strategies led to increases in the percentage of healthy products in all three pricing arms, with largest effects found in the combined price increase and discount arm (B = 4.0, 95%CI = 2.0; 6.0). Effects were not modified by SEP.ConclusionsCombining health-related price increases and discounts and combining these salient pricing strategies with nudges in a supermarket setting seems to stimulate healthy food purchases for both low and high SEP populations. However, further research in real-world settings is needed.Trial registrationThis randomized trial (NTR7293) was registered in the Dutch trial registry (www.trialregister.nl).

A brief nudge or education intervention delivered online can increase willingness to order a beef-mushroom burger

Increasing the consumption of plant-forward meals, such as beef-mushroom burgers, is a promising avenue for improving environmental sustainability. In the present research, we explored the effectiveness of a brief nudge or education intervention designed to reduce willingness to order an all-beef burger in favor of a beef-mushroom burger. For the nudge intervention the beef-mushroom burger was set as the default menu item, whereas for the education intervention the link between beef consumption and climate change was explained. In the control condition neither were included. Participants (N = 562) completed measures of social dominance orientation (SDO), conservatism, cognitive rationalization of meat-eating, beef consumption, liking beef, and liking mushrooms, in a randomized order. Participants were then randomly assigned to the nudge (n = 189), education (n = 187), or control (n = 186) condition, after which they reported their willingness to order an all-beef (vs. beef-mushroom) burger. Results revealed that, after accounting for liking mushrooms, the nudge (vs. control) condition and the education (vs. control) condition both significantly decreased willingness to order the all-beef (vs. beef-mushroom) burger. SDO, conservatism, cognitive rationalization of meat-eating, beef consumption, or liking beef did not moderate the effectiveness of the interventions. In other words, nudge and education interventions increased willingness to order beef-mushroom burgers regardless of right-wing ideology or meat-eating attitudes or behaviors. Implications and recommendations are discussed.

The $100 Million Nudge: Increasing Tax Compliance of Businesses and the Self-Employed Using a Natural Field Experiment

This paper uses a natural field experiment to examine the effectiveness of specific nudges on tax compliance amongst firms and the self-employed in the Dominican Republic. In collaboration with the Dominican Republic’s tax authority, we designed messages for more than 28,000 self-employed workers and over 56,000 firms. Leveraging administrative tax data, we find evidence that our nudges (increasing the salience of prison sentences or public disclosure of tax evaders) have large effects on increasing tax compliance, primarily working through the channel of decreasing claimed tax exemptions. Interestingly, we find that firms are more impacted than the self-employed, and that firm size is critically linked to nudge effectiveness: larger firms are considerably more influenced by nudges than smaller firms. We find this latter result noteworthy given the paucity of evidence showing significant behavioral impacts of nudges amongst the largest players in a market. Overall, our messages increased tax revenue by $193 million (roughly 0.23% of the Dominican Republic’s GDP in 2018), with over $100 million constituting income that the government would not have received without our field experimental nudges. Institutional subscribers to the NBER working paper series, and residents of developing countries may download this paper without additional charge at www.nber.org.

Haptic Nudges Increase Affected Upper Limb Movement During Inpatient Stroke Rehabilitation: Multiple-Period Randomized Crossover Study.

BackgroundAs many as 80% of stroke survivors experience upper limb (UL) disability. The strong relationships between disability, lost productivity, and ongoing health care costs mean reducing disability after stroke is critical at both individual and society levels. Unfortunately, the amount of UL-focused rehabilitation received by people with stroke is extremely low. Activity monitoring and promotion using wearable devices offer a potential technology-based solution to address this gap. Commonly, wearable devices are used to deliver a haptic nudge to the wearer with the aim of promoting a particular behavior. However, little is known about the effectiveness of haptic nudging in promoting behaviors in patient populations.ObjectiveThis study aimed to estimate the effect of haptic nudging delivered via a wrist-worn wearable device on UL movement in people with UL disability following stroke undertaking inpatient rehabilitation.MethodsA multiple-period randomized crossover design was used to measure the association of UL movement with the occurrence of haptic nudge reminders to move the affected UL in 20 people with stroke undertaking inpatient rehabilitation. UL movement was observed and classified using movement taxonomy across 72 one-minute observation periods from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM on a single weekday. On 36 occasions, a haptic nudge to move the affected UL was provided just before the observation period. On the other 36 occasions, no haptic nudge was given. The timing of the haptic nudge was randomized across the observation period for each participant. Statistical analysis was performed using mixed logistic regression. The effect of a haptic nudge was evaluated from the intention-to-treat dataset as the ratio of the odds of affected UL movement during the observation period following a “Planned Nudge” to the odds of affected limb movement during the observation period following “No Nudge.”ResultsThe primary intention-to-treat analysis showed the odds ratio (OR) of affected UL movement following a haptic nudge was 1.44 (95% CI 1.28-1.63, P<.001). The secondary analysis revealed an increased odds of affected UL movement following a Planned Nudge was predominantly due to increased odds of spontaneous affected UL movement (OR 2.03, 95% CI 1.65-2.51, P<.001) rather than affected UL movement in conjunction with unaffected UL movement (OR 1.13, 95% CI 0.99-1.29, P=.07).ConclusionsHaptic nudging delivered via a wrist-worn wearable device increases affected UL movement in people with UL disability following stroke undertaking inpatient rehabilitation. The promoted movement appears to be specific to the instructions given.Trial RegistrationAustralia New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry 12616000654459; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=370687&isReview=true

Significantly Improved Hand Hygiene Compliance Using Nudging and Performance Feedback Based on Data from an Automated Monitoring System

<h3>Background</h3> Hand hygiene compliance (HHC) plays an important role in infection prevention but is often suboptimal. Evidence-based practices to increase and sustain HHC is needed. We aimed to test the effect of nudging and performance feedback on healthcare workers' HHC using anonymized data from an automated monitoring system. <h3>Methods</h3> This prospective, quality-improvement project was conducted between February 2018 and April 2019. The automated monitoring system was installed at an Orthopedic Surgery Department (29-beds unit) and measured hand hygiene opportunities and alcohol-based hand sanitations in all rooms of the ward. Staff were nudged by discrete symbols and lights from the sensors placed on existing alcohol gel dispensers. The study period was divided into four phases where the healthcare workers received different types of feedback: 1) Baseline (2 months), 2) Nudging (2.5 months), 3) Team feedback (5.5 months) and 4) Individual feedback (4 months). Continuous variables are presented as means. Student's t-test test was used for comparisons between the groups. Analyses were performed using the Microsoft® Power BI software. A 2-sided value of p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. <h3>Results</h3> In total, 14 and 74 Sani IDs were handed out to doctors and nurses, respectively. HHC significantly increased from baseline for both doctors (30% vs. 55%, p=0.0005) and nurses (42% vs. 61%, p < 0.0001) when they were visually nudged. The doctors further improved (76%, p=0.002) when they received team performance feedback compared with nudging only, while the nurses kept a steady HHC level. The staff who received individual performance feedback increased HHC level even further compared to the period when they only received team performance feedback (61% vs. 77%, p < 0.0001). <h3>Conclusions</h3> Using nudging and performance feedback significantly improves HHC for both doctors and nurses. The highest HHC level was achieved when using individual performance feedback.

The use of financial incentives to prevent unhealthy behaviors: A review.

Behaviors that are putting people's health at risk are widespread and some of them are on the rise. Some of these behaviors can be prohibited or prevented by taxation. But financial incentives such as conditional cash transfers are also increasingly proposed and tested to discourage such behaviors, in domains as varied as HIV/AIDS, drugs, alcohol, smoking, and obesity. This paper presents the theoretical justification for using such incentives, distinguishing between the price, income effects, and the nudge effects. The growing literature about the effectiveness of financial incentives to prevent undesirable behaviors is reviewed in detail for each type of harmful behavior. Finally, the paper discusses the long-term sustainability of such incentives, a key issue if they are to be scaled up beyond pilot programs and research projects. The current evidence on whether such incentives have an impact after they are discontinued is mixed. Some design features, like lotteries or commitment devices, could induce savings as well as increase effectiveness, therefore improving sustainability.

Effectiveness of nudges on small business tax compliance behavior

There has been a surge of basic and applied interest in exploring how small changes in decision contexts might be used to improve heuristic decision-making, “nudging” decision-makers toward choices that increase individual and social utility. The present study tested the impact of three types of nudges on tax compliance among delinquent businesses (n=3,130) in the state of Pennsylvania: (1) sending reminder letters that almost identically matched original tax delinquency notices, (2) sending redesigned reminder letters that simplified text and layout, increased the salience of critical information, and included an “Act Now” urgency statement, and (3) sending redesigned reminder letters with handwritten notes on the envelope. Redesigned reminder letters significantly increased the number of business owners who responded and the amount of delinquency paid within 15 days of receiving the notices. The addition of a handwritten note on the outside of the envelope did not additionally increase response rates or payment amount. Although the effect sizes observed in this study were small, the potential impact is large given the number of delinquent businesses and the average amount of taxes owed in Pennsylvania.

ROLE OF NUDGING IN SELECT GOALS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Humankind has made tremendous progress in the 21st century. However, this progress has come at increased costs in terms of depletion of natural resources and environmental degradation. In response to this there is a growing concern across countries to adopt and achieve the goals of sustainable development. However, it is a challenging task as it requires changes in human psychology and practices, particularly, apathy and lethargy. It requires sensitization and influencing of the perception of human beings, which in turn calls for much effort. It is necessary to go beyond traditional approaches of laws and rules that involve penalties and compulsions with huge costs of implementation and compliance tracking. There is need to incorporate innovative ways of dealing with the issue. The Nudge theory offers one such alternative that can complement the traditional approaches. In this context, the present examined various steps taken by governments in India and other countries to incorporate nudging in the efforts to achieve goals of sustainable development. An examination of the effectiveness of nudge in the form of mid-day meal scheme in government schools in India was also undertaken. Preliminary analysis revealed favorable effect of the nudge in improving enrolment and attendance in primary schools.

Maxims nudgeequitableor efficientchoices in a Trade-Off Game.

The core problem in the distribution dilemma is the trade-off between equity and efficiency. With the development of socio-economic conditions, the optimal decision changes between equitable and efficient options. The methods for nudging decision-makers to make optimal decisions without changing the event are extremely important. This study used two laboratory behavior experiments to explore the impact of maxim information on the trade-off between equity and efficiency. The study explores whether stake levels and division schemes affect the nudging effect of the maxim in a Trade-Off Game (TOG). We found that participants were affected by maxim information in decision-making scenarios, and participants showed different equity preferences as the maxim information changed, without relevance of the stake level. Additionally, the nudging effect of the maxim only exists under the condition that the distributor's interests is not affected.

Before the lunch line: Effectiveness of behavioral economic interventions for pre-commitment on elementary school children's food choices

In this study, we intervened in elementary schools on lunch entrée selection using some of the behavioral economic methods shown to be effective in earlier food choice studies. Unlike many earlier behavioral interventions, which were mostly done in controlled environments and smaller café type settings for one-off interactions, we conducted our interventions in a real-world environment in twelve elementary schools in one school district in South Carolina over nine school weeks. By increasing salience and prominence of the healthy entrée of the day through visual and verbal tools, we nudged students towards selecting healthier options in treatment schools. We estimated the treatment effects using a difference-in-differences setup, comparing changes in the share of students selecting nudged entrées during the treatment period relative to the shares before the treatment period in treatment and comparison schools. Our estimates show that the nudges are effective when present. They increase selection of the healthy option by thirteen to thirty-five percent on the days the entrée is treated. Effects disappear when the nudge is removed, however, and there is evidence for reduced effectiveness of nudges in repeat instances. There is no evidence of habit formation.

Beyond Discrete Choices - Investigating the Effectiveness of a Proximity Nudge With Multiple Alternative Options.

Nudges are defined as small adjustments in the choice architecture that stimulate desirable behavior. Nudging techniques can be used as a promising policy tool, but research has hardly systematically taken into account the complexity of the situation in which nudges have been implemented. In the current studies, we investigated the effectiveness of a proximity nudge on food choice in a realistic situation with multiple options in the immediate surroundings of the target option. In two studies, we presented participants from a community sample with an assortment of either three or nine different types of chocolate. For half of the participants, the target chocolate was placed most proximally on a table. Across two studies, we demonstrated that the proximity nudge was effective in stimulating the choice for a specific piece of chocolate in a simple and more complex situation. Results were further qualified by Bayesian analyses, which revealed most support for the hypothesis that the proximity effect existed in both the conditions with three and nine options, regardless of the number of options in the choice set. Results imply that the proximity effect can remain robust in realistic situations that include multiple options in the immediate environment to choose from.

A study on Seoul Milk's commercial advertising storytelling though the Nudge effects

A study on Seoul Milk's commercial advertising storytelling though the Nudge effects

Nudging and citizen science: The effectiveness of feedback in energy-demand management

Nudging is a framework for directing individuals toward better behavior, both for personal and societal benefits, through heuristics that drive the decision-making process but without preventing any available choice. Considering the Grand Challenges that our society faces today, nudging represents an effective framework to tackle some of these pressing issues. In this work, we assessed the effectiveness of informational nudges in the form of detailed, customized feedback, within an energy-demand-management project. The project aligns energy production and demand, thereby reducing greenhouse gases and pollutant emissions to mitigate climate change. We also offered evidence that this kind of feedback is efficacious in involving individuals as citizen scientists, who volunteer their efforts toward the success of the environmentally-related aim of the project. The results of this research – based on surveys, electroencephalography measurements and online participation measures – indicate that feedback can be an effective tool to steer participants’ behavior under the libertarian paternalistic view of nudging, increase their motivation to contribute to citizen science, and improve their awareness about environmentally-related issues. In so doing, we provide evidence that nudging and citizen science can be jointly adopted toward the mitigation of pressing environmental issues.

Nudging health: Scarcity cues boost healthy consumption among fast rather than slow strategists (and abundance cues do the opposite)

We examine the effectiveness of specific nudges in the choice environment to foster healthy choice and consumption among consumers with fast vs. slow life history strategies (LHS)––short-term, impulsive, reward-sensitive (fast) vs. long-term, reflective, controlled (slow) foci––associated with low and high socio-economic status (SES), respectively. The results of two experiments, conducted in a field and an online setting, show that consumers with a fast, rather than slow, life-history strategy are more susceptible to scarcity cues, boosting choice and actual consumption of healthy foods when these cues are associated with the healthy option. Conversely, for slow LHS consumers, the evidence suggests that scarcity cues are less influential, and instead abundance cues tend to foster healthy choice. Finally, in line with the LHS logic, acute food craving mediates the impact of scarcity vs. abundance cues for fast, but not slow, strategists, while perceptions of socially validated trust in the food source fulfill this role for slow, but not fast, strategists.

Toward an Understanding of the Welfare Effects of Nudges: Evidence from a Field Experiment in the Workplace

Abstract Social scientists have recently explored how framing of gains and losses affects productivity. We conducted a field experiment in peri-urban Uganda, and compared output levels across 1,000 workers over isomorphic tasks and incentives, framed as either losses or gains. We find that loss aversion can be leveraged to increase the productivity of labour. The estimated welfare costs of using the loss contract are quite modest—perhaps because the loss contract is viewed as a (soft) commitment device.

When a Combination of Nudges Decreases Sustainable Food Choices Out-Of-Home-The Example of Food Decoys and Descriptive Name Labels.

This paper reports results from three consecutive studies focusing on the comparison of the effectiveness of different nudges and their combinations to increase sustainable food choices out of the home. The nudges compared are the use of descriptive name labels (DNLs) for the most sustainable dish of a choice set (menu) and the decoy effect (DE), created by adding a less attractive decoy dish to a more attractive target dish with the goal of increasing the choice frequency of the target dish. In the literature, both nudges have been found to influence consumers’ choices. In the first study, six category names of sustainability indicators were deduced from a focus group. These were tested with 100 students to identify the most attractive DNLs. Study II, a randomized choice study (n = 420), tested the DE, the DNLs and a combination of the DNLs and the DE used on four different dishes in a university canteen. In study III, 820 guests of a business canteen voted during four weeks for the special meals of the following week (identical to the four choice sets displayed in study II). Results indicate that the combination of DNLs and the DE is not recommended for fostering sustainable food choices. Pure DNLs were more efficient in increasing the choice frequency of the more sustainable meal, whereas the decoy effect resulted in decreased choice frequencies. Regional and sustainable DNLs were favoured by consumers.

A Test of Enhancing Learning in Economics through Nudges

We test for the importance of nudges in improving student performance in introductory economics courses at UNC-Chapel Hill. We use a randomized controlled trial to test the effectiveness of nudges in encouraging use of academic supports and (jointly) the use of these supports on academic performance. With our aggregated sample the average treatment effects take the correct sign but are uniformly statistically insignificant. This near-zero average effect masks large and significant effects of nudges among subgroups of individuals: females, first years, and individuals of color. Our results identify subgroup-activity pairings for which nudges work at the margin to encourage participation.

Can Simple Nudges and Workshops Improve Diet Quality? Evidence from a Randomized Trial in Bangladesh

Despite improvements in food access and affordability around the world, low‐quality diets persist. Public policy affecting food choice may have a role to play alongside efforts to improve access to healthy foods. This study uniquely explores the potential for dietary interventions to encourage healthy food choice among adults in a developing country. We evaluate two dietary interventions using a randomized control trial in Bangladesh: a behavioral change communication workshop that emphasized national dietary guidelines and a “nudge” in the form of a plate printed with nutrition recommendations. We study the performance of both interventions in two environments: a lab‐in‐the‐field experiment where food choices are discreetly observed at two lunch events and in the home using household survey data. The workshop improves diet quality in the lab and the home, although its impact is less precisely estimated in the latter setting. We find no effect of the plate in the lab during the same lunch event when the plate is received. The plate is effective at home, and the nudge effects of in‐home exposure persist in the lab even when the plate is not being used. Receipt of the plate at the first lunch event followed by one month of subsequent in‐home access to the plate improves food choice at the second event. Combining treatments does not increase their effectiveness. We conclude that nudges improve diet quality in our study context, but more evidence is needed to determine the effects of workshop messages in the home.