In the behavioral sciences, researchers call this a modification of the “option architecture.” This is done, for example, when in a company cafeteria the healthiest dishes are intentionally placed at the top of the menu to motivate customers to select the choice that is most advantageous to their health, without infringing on their liberty to select. As a result, this type of intervention is drawing in increasing interest from both the clinical community and public authorities.
Over 450 methods examined
Regardless of the growing appeal of pushes, their efficiencies had not yet been studied in their entirety. By carrying out a meta-analysis (an analytical technique focused on synthesizing the results of numerous studies), a research study team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) has actually been successful in showing the efficiency of “pushes” and determining the areas in which they are most relevant. “We have collected more than 200 scientific posts published over the last 15 years on the topic, which represent more than 450 nudge methods,” says Stéphanie Mertens, the research studys very first author and a scientist at the Consumer Decision and Sustainable Behavior Laboratory of the Department of Psychology in the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences at the UNIGE.
To perform this research study, the scientists categorized the pushes described in this scientific literature into 3 groups: “information,” “structure” and “support.” In the very first set, they grouped interventions whose goal is to notify people in order to encourage them to make sure options, such as the “nutri-score” labels found on certain food. In the 2nd set, they grouped methods that deal with the structure of an environment. This is the example (mentioned above) of highlighting specific meals in a lunchroom menu.
In the 3rd set, they classified pushes involving a type of dedication, as when it comes to a person who stops cigarette smoking and notifies those around him or her. When informed, the people around him or her take on the function of a “secure” in the option architecture of the abstinent cigarette smoker.
Extremely effective for food choices
The scientific team concluded that all three groups of nudges are efficient. In the end, we discovered that nudges work best in the location of food,” discusses Tobias Brosch, Director of the Consumer Decision and Sustainable Behavior Laboratory. “It is imperative that the overall research study quality increases due to the fact that of the effect that pushes can have on the daily lives of citizens,” he describes.
All of the synthesized information is now offered to researchers. This study is likewise meant to end up being a recommendation document for policymakers who wish to execute these brand-new practices. “However, it is essential to remember that nudges are powerful tools, as our research study shows. Pushes need to for that reason be utilized wisely and within the framework of democratic and transparent procedures,” concludes the researcher.
Recommendation: “The effectiveness of nudging: A meta-analysis of choice architecture interventions across behavioral domains” by Stephanie Mertens, Mario Herberz, Ulf J. J. Hahnel and Tobias Brosch, 4 January 2022, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.DOI: 10.1073/ pnas.2107346118.
A group from the UNIGE shows that certain soft incentive strategies, called “pushes,” work in getting individuals to alter their behavior.
Established by the American economic expert Richard Thaler in the late 2000s, the theory behind “nudging” theory is based upon the principle that our options are not only determined by our capability to reason, however are also affected by specific predispositions such as our feelings, our memories, the opinions of others or the setup of our environment. Concentrating on these aspects can for that reason be more effective in getting us to alter particular behaviors than a ban or an awareness-raising campaign.
By carrying out a meta-analysis (an analytical technique aimed at manufacturing the outcomes of many research studies), a research team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) has prospered in demonstrating the effectiveness of “pushes” and determining the locations in which they are most relevant. “We have gathered more than 200 scientific posts published over the last 15 years on the subject, which represent more than 450 push techniques,” says Stéphanie Mertens, the studys first author and a researcher at the Consumer Decision and Sustainable Behavior Laboratory of the Department of Psychology in the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences at the UNIGE.
The scientific group concluded that all three groups of pushes are effective. In the end, we discovered that pushes work best in the location of food,” describes Tobias Brosch, Director of the Consumer Decision and Sustainable Behavior Laboratory. “It is imperative that the overall study quality boosts because of the effect that pushes can have on the day-to-day lives of residents,” he explains.
