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on Nudge and Boosting |
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Issue of 2025–10–13
three papers chosen by Marco Novarese, Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale |
| 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: | 2025–09–23 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bdp:dpaper:0073 |
| By: | Maja Adena; Levent Neyse; Steffen Huck |
| Abstract: | While almost all charities rely on a set of donor appreciation strategies, their effectiveness for the success of fundraising campaigns is underresearched. Through two preregistered field studies conducted in collaboration with a leading German opera house (N=10, 000), we explore the significance of expressing gratitude and examine two different approaches to doing so. Our first study investigates the impact of a "thank you in advance" statement in fundraising letters, a common strategy among fundraisers. In the second study, we explore the effectiveness of handwritten thank-you postcards versus printed postcards, shedding light on the roles of personalization and handwriting in donor appeals. Our findings challenge conventional wisdom, revealing that neither “thank you in advance” nor handwritten thank-you notes significantly affect donor contributions. |
| Keywords: | gratitude in fundraising, charitable giving, behavioral economics |
| JEL: | D64 C93 D03 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_12184 |
| By: | König, Tobias; Schmacker, Renke |
| Abstract: | Using surveys and experiments, we provide evidence on how people think about and justify sugar-sweetened-beverage (SSB) taxes, a widely discussed behavioral policy intervention. We show that motives to correct internalities and behavioral biases impact policy preferences almost as much as standard externality reasoning. However, antipaternalistic attitudes explain why many people oppose SSB taxes although they acknowledge the relevance of behavioral biases. We demonstrate that instructional explanations about how behavioral SSB taxes work significantly increase support for such taxes. By contrast, simple information feedback regarding the statistical prevalence of internalities and externalities has no effect. Our findings suggest that the nature of information provision-particularly explaining a policy's goals and mechanisms-is crucial for enhancing its acceptability. |
| Keywords: | Paternalism, sin tax, internality, externality, soda tax, self-control |
| JEL: | H23 I18 D12 D78 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:wzbmbh:328006 |