|
on Nudge and Boosting |
|
Issue of 2025–11–24
five papers chosen by Marco Novarese, Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale |
| By: | Sebastian Riedmiller; Matthias Sutter; Sebastian Tonke |
| Abstract: | Most interventions fail to change behavior. We argue that the reason for this failure is that the interventions do not adequately address the type of the underlying problem. We develop a systematic, parsimonious, and generalizable framework that uses a simple survey tool (anamnesis) to identify three types of fundamental problems: awareness, intention, and implementation problems. We then test in an online experiment with 7, 500 subjects whether our framework can predict the effectiveness of three typical interventions (reminders, incentives, simplifications) that are designed to address a specific fundamental problem. As hypothesized, we find that the interventions’ effectiveness varies substantially between the different settings, but that our framework can predict this heterogeneity remarkably well: On average, a predicted effectiveness of 10% corresponds to an actual effectiveness of 8.92%. Choosing an intervention based on our framework increases an intervention’s effect size by around 58% compared to randomly choosing one of the tested interventions. We also apply our framework to predict the findings of a large-scale megastudy about booster vaccinations, providing evidence for its external validity for designing effective interventions. |
| Keywords: | intervention design, heterogeneous treatment effects, context dependency, experiment |
| JEL: | C93 D01 D61 D90 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_12279 |
| By: | Baker, Maher Asaad |
| Abstract: | Purpose This paper provides a critical synthesis of the key developments in the application of behavioral economics (BE) to public policy from 2015 to 2025. It analyzes the field's institutionalization, the evolution of its core concepts, and the significant critiques that have shaped its modern trajectory. Design/methodology/approach This article is a comprehensive literature review, synthesizing findings from published academic papers, institutional reports, and meta-analyses. It systematically maps empirical findings across policy domains and critically examines ethical, methodological, and practical challenges. Findings The review finds that BE has matured from a novel tool into an established field. Mechanisms like defaults, framing, and friction reduction have been widely deployed with varying success. This period has also been defined by a critical reckoning with the replication crisis and ethical debates concerning autonomy. The field is responding by integrating with computational social science and artificial intelligence, moving toward more interdisciplinary and empowering approaches. Originality/value This review offers a nuanced, critical analysis of a pivotal decade in behavioral public policy. It moves beyond cataloging interventions to provide a coherent narrative of institutionalization, challenge, and adaptation. The paper concludes that the field's value lies in fostering a more realistic, evidence-based, and human-centric paradigm for policy design. |
| Keywords: | behavioral economics, literature review, policy design, nudge, choice architecture, public policy, policy design |
| JEL: | B40 D03 D04 D90 H00 |
| Date: | 2025–09–19 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:126231 |
| By: | Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC) (Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC)) |
| Abstract: | Behavioural economics has great potential to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of regulations, public policies, and supervision, thereby benefiting the proper functioning of markets, consumers, and the economy. These instruments are flexible, respect freedom of choice, and are very low-cost. Therefore, many countries use these instruments systematically. To promote their use in Spain, the CNMC recommends creating a regulatory framework on the subject, including behavioural units, networks of experts, human capital, and integration into international forums. Second, adopting behavioural economics in the design and evaluation of regulations and public policies, promoting guidance documents, transparency, experimentation, and a sandbox. Third, introducing a behavioural approach into the work of supervisors, also promoting prevention and awarenessraising measures, and fostering collaboration between institutions. |
| Keywords: | Regulation, Supervision, Competition, Behavioural economics, Cognitive biases, Heuristics, Nudges |
| JEL: | C9 D9 K23 L4 L51 |
| Date: | 2025–07–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:awo:epaper:e/cnmc/002/23_eng |
| By: | Rustam Romaniuc (Groupe Sup de Co Montpellier (GSCM) - Montpellier Business School); Odile Séré de Lanauze (CEE-M - Centre d'Economie de l'Environnement - Montpellier - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - Institut Agro Montpellier - Institut Agro - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement - UM - Université de Montpellier, BIT - Behavioral Insights Team France); Lisette Ibanez (CEE-M - Centre d'Economie de l'Environnement - Montpellier - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - Institut Agro Montpellier - Institut Agro - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement - UM - Université de Montpellier); Sébastien Roussel (CEE-M - Centre d'Economie de l'Environnement - Montpellier - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - Institut Agro Montpellier - Institut Agro - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement - UM - Université de Montpellier) |
| Abstract: | This paper contributes to the literature studying the effect of green nudges on the behavior of young people, particularly adolescents. We conducted a field experiment involving high school students to assess the effectiveness of a nudging strategy which aimed at motivating them to power off computers when these are not used in the classroom. Our nudging strategy resulted in a significant reduction in computer power in the treated high school compared to a control high school. We discuss the relevance of our work for research on young people's pro-environmental behavior as well as the implications in terms of policy-making. |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05363638 |
| By: | Takeshi Ojima; Shinsuke Ikeda |
| Abstract: | If dishonest behavior stems from a self-control problem, then offering the option to commit to honestywill reduce dishonesty, provided that it lowers the self-control costs of being honest. To test thistheoretical prediction, we conducted an incentivized online experiment in which participants couldcheat at a game of rock-paper-scissors. Treatment groups were randomly or invariably offered a hardHonesty-Commitment Option (HCO), which could be used to prevent cheating. Our between- andwithin-subject analyses reveal that the HCO provision significantly reduced cheating rates byapproximately 64%. Evidence suggests that the commitment device works by lowering self-controlcosts, which is more pronounced in individuals with low cognitive reflection, rather than by anobserver effect. Further analyses reveal two key dynamics. First, an individual’s frequency of not usingthe HCO reliably predicts their propensity to cheat when the option is unavailable. Second, repeatedlydeciding not to use the commitment device can become habitual, diminishing the HCO provision’seffect in reducing cheating over time. This research highlights the effectiveness of honesty-commitment devices in policy design while also noting that their disuse can become habitual, pointingto a new dynamic in the study of cheating. |
| Date: | 2025–10–31 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:toh:tupdaa:76 |