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on Nudge and Boosting |
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Issue of 2025–05–05
five papers chosen by Marco Novarese, Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale |
| By: | Paul M. Lohmann; Elisabeth Gsottbauer; Christina Gravert; Lucia A. Reisch |
| Abstract: | Understanding when and why nudges work is crucial for designing interventions that consistently and reliably change behaviour. This paper explores the relationship between decision-making speed and the effectiveness of two nudges – carbon footprint labelling and menu repositioning – aimed at encouraging climate-friendly food choices. Using an incentivized online randomized controlled trial with a quasi-representative sample of British consumers (N=3, 052) ordering meals through an experimental food-delivery platform, we introduced a time-pressure mechanism to capture both fast and slow decision-making processes. Our findings suggest that menu repositioning is an effective tool for promoting climate-friendly choices when decisions are made quickly, though the effect fades when subjects have time to revise their choices. Carbon labels, in contrast, showed minimal impact overall but reduced emissions among highly educated and climate-conscious individuals when they made fast decisions. The results imply that choice architects should apply both interventions in contexts where consumers make fast decisions, such as digital platforms, canteens, or fast-food restaurants to help mitigate climate externalities. More broadly, our findings suggest that the available decision time in different contexts might at least partly explain differences in effect sizes found in previous studies of these nudges. |
| Keywords: | carbon-footprint labelling, choice architecture, food-delivery apps, low-carbon diets, dual-process models, system 1 |
| JEL: | C90 D04 I18 D90 Q18 Q50 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_11718 |
| By: | Cuong Viet Nguyen; Quynh Thien Thi Pham; Tung Duc Phung |
| Abstract: | In this study, we examine whether a nudging intervention increases eyeglass use among primary and lower-secondary students in Vietnam through a randomized controlled trial. Students with refractive errors in 34 schools in one province were provided with free eyeglasses. Half of the schools were randomly selected, allowing students in these schools to choose from 10 available eyeglass frames. Six months after receiving their eyeglasses, we assessed the impact of frame choice. We find no significant effect of frame choice on students' eyeglass-wearing behavior. |
| Keywords: | Education, Health, Randomized Control Trial, Nudge, Vietnam |
| JEL: | I12 I20 C93 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:glodps:1605 |
| By: | Jared Gars; Laura Prada; Egon Tripodi; Santiago Borda |
| Abstract: | A large share of the global workforce lacks access to employer-sponsored retirement plans. In Colombia, where labor informality is high, the government introduced the Beneficios Economicos Periodicos (BEPS) program to promote voluntary retirement savings. However, many enrollees fail to contribute regularly. We conduct a randomized controlled trial with 2, 819 BEPS users, assigning them to different planning and monthly reminder treatments, where reminders are tailored in their timing. We find that personalized reminders significantly increase both the frequency and amount of savings, with individuals who recognize their forgetfulness more likely to demand reminders. Our findings highlight the role of reminders tailored to individuals’ preferred timing in sustaining engagement in voluntary savings programs. |
| Keywords: | retirement savings, personalized reminders, limited attention, financial inclusion |
| JEL: | D91 G41 O16 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_11738 |
| By: | Andlib, Zubaria |
| Abstract: | This study examines the causal impact of addictive patterns of social media use on mental health outcomes through a randomized controlled trial conducted among young individuals (18 to 24 years) in Pakistan. Participants in the treatment group received an intervention designed to limit their social media use, while the control group maintained their usual usage patterns. The findings indicate that limiting social media use leads to significant improvements in mental health, including reductions in depression and anxiety, alongside notable increases in self-esteem and overall well-being among young adults. The intervention improves sleep quality and reduces perceived stress, demonstrating that excessive use of social media apps significantly affects psychological and behavioural health. The findings highlight the potential for policy interventions, including behavioural nudges, youth-targeted awareness campaigns, and regulatory actions, to decrease the negative externalities associated with unregulated social media use. Future research should evaluate the long-term effects of addictive patterns of social media use and the differential impacts across diverse socio-demographic groups, considering the increasing integration of digital platforms into everyday life. |
| Keywords: | Social Media, Mental Health, Randomized Controlled Trial, Digital Well-being, Behavioural Nudges |
| JEL: | I12 I31 D91 O33 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:glodps:1603 |
| By: | Sandrine Heitz-Spahn (CEREFIGE - Centre Européen de Recherche en Economie Financière et Gestion des Entreprises - UL - Université de Lorraine); Christian Dianoux (CEREFIGE - Centre Européen de Recherche en Economie Financière et Gestion des Entreprises - UL - Université de Lorraine); Béatrice Siadou-Martin (MRM - Montpellier Research in Management - UPVD - Université de Perpignan Via Domitia - UM - Université de Montpellier); Jean-Marc Ferrandi (LEMNA - Laboratoire d'économie et de management de Nantes Atlantique - Nantes Univ - IAE Nantes - Nantes Université - Institut d'Administration des Entreprises - Nantes - Nantes Université - pôle Sociétés - Nantes Univ - Nantes Université, ONIRIS - École nationale vétérinaire, agroalimentaire et de l'alimentation Nantes-Atlantique); Géraldine Thévenot (CEREFIGE - Centre Européen de Recherche en Economie Financière et Gestion des Entreprises - UL - Université de Lorraine) |
| Abstract: | Several success stories have demonstrated the ability of nudges to steer individual behavior that are good for themselves and/or for the society (Singler, 2015; Ebert and Freibichler, 2017) and have led many public and private organizations to consider them. Research into the implementation of nudges by private commercial organizations remains rare, despite the fact that this communication technique is likely to be an important lever for promoting behaviors that represent individual or collective well-being, such as the consumption of healthy products (e.g. fruit and vegetables) or the reduction of waste, as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy. The fact that nudges act "without the awareness of the individual" (Lin et al., 2017, p. 301), or can be considered "a threat to our moral autonomy" (Villaran, 2017, p. 479), has been the subject of an ethical debate in the academic community over the past decade (Bovens, 2009; Ménard, 2010; Blumenthal-Barby and Burroughs, 2012; Craig et al, 2013; Sunstein, 2015; Schubert, 2016). It is likely, however, that individuals' perception of the ethical dimension of a nudge differs according to the situation in which they find themselves and the nature of the sender, in particular whether or not the latter has a commercial vocation. Since commercial sources tend to be considered less credible than non-commercial ones (eReid, Soley and Vanden Bergh, 1981), we may indeed wonder whether the use of a nudge by a private commercial organization to promote a behavior, a product or a service that is good for the individual and/or the community might not be considered a pseudo-ethical practice that in reality conceals a commercial technique aimed more at profit than at the public good. The aim of this research is therefore to study consumers' perceptions of the ethical nature of nudges implemented by retailers, which are indeed key operators in guiding individuals towards responsible products or behaviors. |
| Date: | 2024–06–25 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05011531 |