Unresolved questions in nudging research: putting the psychology back in nudging

Abstract

Nudging interventions are defined as rearrangements of a choice context that gently suggest a desired choice. This type of interventions aims to make the healthy desired choice easier without making the alternative choice impossible. Their increasing popularity in the public health domain as an alternative for educational and motivational approaches has attracted attention and discussion from researchers, policy makers, and practitioners alike. Much debate has been inspired by ethical considerations about the alleged manipulative nature of nudges without taking into account psychological theorizing of behavioral change. These ethical concerns stipulate that rearrangements of the choice context, such as for example making healthy snacks more accessible at the cash register, influence choices without people being aware of this influence, which may ultimately violate a sense of autonomous decision making. In my talk I will argue that recent insights into the nature of decision making about health behavior respect rather than abuse the strategies people use in making choices. Specifically, I will explain that so-called swift and effortless System 1 reasoning lies at the heart of many health decisions, making people vulnerable when they are surrounded by opportunities for engaging in unhealthy behavior. Accordingly, when the choice context is redesigned in such a way that it helps people to act more in line with their goals while taking advantage of their default way of reasoning, nudging can be used to promote decisions about healthy behavior. I will also discuss the conditions that make nudging interventions acceptable to the target population of people with unhealthy habits, arguing that disclosure of a nudging intervention does not make it less effective. Finally, I will discuss under which conditions nudging interventions can influence health behavior beyond a specific occasion and help to install new habits that will last even when the intervention is removed.