Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don't follow. The Economist's editors aren't the ones deciding what is or isn't counted as a nudge in the academic literature.
The headline doesn't say nudges. It says behavioural interventions. (and as far as I can tell, the academic literature isn't consistent on what counts as a nudge or not)
Evidence for behavioural interventions looks increasingly shaky
21–30 of 59 posts
Re: Evidence for behavioural interventions looks increasingly shaky
#22Earlier quoted context omitted.
Fundamentally yes, except that nudge theory is about manipulating collective action (or inaction) in populations. Promoters of this theory also envision themselves as trying to help, not fleece people of their money.
I don't know a lot about this, but would an example be like when Draghi was at the ECB and he responded with "Whatever it takes" when asked about the S. Europe debt crises? Or how exactly does nudging look like in practice?
Another example: instead of regulating testing for travel, allow third party companies to manage official testing certificates and set their own prices. This happened in the UK, where Covid tests were free from the government unless you wanted to travel - at which point you had to pay a private clinic upwards of £50 (sometimes more like £150) to get a 24 hour pass.
Nudging looks very much like incentives and restrictions in a mobile game.
Re: Evidence for behavioural interventions looks increasingly shaky
#23Earlier quoted context omitted.
Fundamentally yes, except that nudge theory is about manipulating collective action (or inaction) in populations. Promoters of this theory also envision themselves as trying to help, not fleece people of their money.
I don't know a lot about this, but would an example be like when Draghi was at the ECB and he responded with "Whatever it takes" when asked about the S. Europe debt crises? Or how exactly does nudging look like in practice?
The idea being people who are on the fence are more likely to just accept the "yes" than go through the effort to check "yes"
Re: Evidence for behavioural interventions looks increasingly shaky
#24Earlier quoted context omitted.
In that big meta study that questioned the efficiency of nudges, it was said in the discussion on HN that they excluded default options from the definition of nudges. Either way, the line seems arbitrary to me, and it's part of why I think they're moving the goalposts.
I don't know what people on HN said, but it's the first example of nudges of you look here (and pretty much anywhere else): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nudge_theory#Types_of_nudges
Re: Evidence for behavioural interventions looks increasingly shaky
#25Earlier quoted context omitted.
Fundamentally yes, except that nudge theory is about manipulating collective action (or inaction) in populations. Promoters of this theory also envision themselves as trying to help, not fleece people of their money.
I don't know a lot about this, but would an example be like when Draghi was at the ECB and he responded with "Whatever it takes" when asked about the S. Europe debt crises? Or how exactly does nudging look like in practice?
If you want people to take the stairs you might make the elevator stay at the top floors so that people always have to press the call elevator button, they might choose to walk up instead of waiting.
If you want people to eat less animal based proteins you can make vegan options the default for catering/meal options with meat only available as a option you can request. Some people will take whatever is the default.
You want more organ donations you make being a organ donor the default with a option to opt-out.
The goal is to make the desired option the easiest way out so most people will avoid the cognitive work of doing what they would actually prefer if they thought about it.
Re: Evidence for behavioural interventions looks increasingly shaky
#26Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don't know a lot about this, but would an example be like when Draghi was at the ECB and he responded with "Whatever it takes" when asked about the S. Europe debt crises? Or how exactly does nudging look like in practice?
>Or how exactly does nudging look like in practice? If you want people to take the stairs you might make the elevator stay at the top floors so that people always have to press the call elevator button, they might choose to walk up instead of waiting. If you want people to eat less animal based proteins you can make vegan options the default for catering/meal options with meat only available as a option you can reque…
Re: Evidence for behavioural interventions looks increasingly shaky
#27Earlier quoted context omitted.
>Or how exactly does nudging look like in practice? If you want people to take the stairs you might make the elevator stay at the top floors so that people always have to press the call elevator button, they might choose to walk up instead of waiting. If you want people to eat less animal based proteins you can make vegan options the default for catering/meal options with meat only available as a option you can reque…
Turning the option that most people want into the hardest/most tedious/most onerous option for them to select is a great way to foster contempt for your system.
Re: Evidence for behavioural interventions looks increasingly shaky
#28Earlier quoted context omitted.
Turning the option that most people want into the hardest/most tedious/most onerous option for them to select is a great way to foster contempt for your system.
I think nudges are supposed to be subtle enough that you don't notice them. And probably for every not so subtle manipulation we notice there are 5 we don't notice.
Re: Evidence for behavioural interventions looks increasingly shaky
#29What is a nudge? Do dark patterns, tactics employed by casinos or loot box games that depend on whales and children of wealthy parents count?
Re: Evidence for behavioural interventions looks increasingly shaky
#30Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don't know a lot about this, but would an example be like when Draghi was at the ECB and he responded with "Whatever it takes" when asked about the S. Europe debt crises? Or how exactly does nudging look like in practice?
Nudging would look like this (excuse the politics, it's just the most immediate source of examples): people who are up to date on their vaccinations may get perks and be allowed to enter certain venues just by showing their card, while everyone else gets no perks and has to pay for testing to enter venues or are barred entirely. Another example: instead of regulating testing for travel, allow third party companies to…