But we don’t consciously weigh these decisions every time we do something as routine as brushing our teeth. If we had to consider every risk, reward, and ethical dimension for all 35,000 (1!) daily decisions, it would be mentally exhausting. That’s why much of our behavior is automated. We form habits and act on impulse, which frees up mental capacity for actions that require time, reflection, and deeper information. According to research by Wendy Wood, 43% of what we do consists of habits – actions we repeat daily in the same context while our minds are elsewhere.

Nudging theory is based on this very insight and describes what is known as “choice architecture.” In other words, the way we present options always influences the decisions people make. When presenting choices, it’s important to reflect how people actually think and behave – which is often impulsively and influenced by their surroundings – rather than assuming we always make rational and logical decisions.

More precisely, a “nudge” is defined as:

“An intervention that aims to influence people's behavior in a predictable way without forbidding any options or significantly changing their economic incentives.”

– Cass R. Sunstein & Richard H. Thaler, from the book Nudge (2008)

Nudging is about structuring choices so that people’s behavior changes in predictable ways, without forcing decisions or banning options.

A typical nudge might be reducing the size of plates instead of asking people to serve less food to reduce waste, or placing hand sanitizer in easily accessible locations in stores rather than mandating its use to lower the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

We Are All Choice Architects

Sunstein and Thaler argue that there is no such thing as neutral design. When we create new services, sell a product, or try to get people to subscribe or donate, we always influence behavior in a particular direction. We change the context, rearrange the environment, adjust the design of a website or form, and modify the presentation and placement of products. We are all, in effect, “choice architects.” And when you influence people’s behavior in this way, you should be familiar with the philosophy behind nudging – libertarian paternalism.

Libertarian paternalism means guiding people toward what is in their best interest, while still allowing them the freedom to choose otherwise. So if you are applying nudging theory, there are a few principles (from Sunstein and Thaler) you should follow:

• Nudges should always be transparent and not misleading.

• It should be easy to choose an alternative, such as being just one click away.

• We must have strong reason to believe the behavior being encouraged is beneficial to those being nudged, and the best way to ensure this is to ask the people affected.

Default Options

A situation where users were likely not consulted, and other principles were not followed, occurred when SATS had to close its fitness centers due to COVID-19. I received an email with the headline “Your Membership is Now Digital,” outlining all the benefits of my new digital membership. Only far down the page, in small text and an inconvenient format, were my alternative options such as freezing the membership or receiving a gift card.

I misunderstood the email and felt I didn’t get the choice I actually preferred. Newspapers later reported that many others had the same experience. Whether intentional or not, SATS set the digital membership as the default. Perhaps in an effort to retain members, but many felt misled. To their credit, when SATS had to close again, they responded to the criticism and made the alternatives clearer.

Most people are familiar with the fact that we tend to go with the default option. We like to have choices, but we don’t like making choices, so we often stick with what is already selected. It is a shortcut, plain and simple.

Mental Shortcuts (Heuristics) and Bias
Choosing the default is just one of many mental shortcuts – or heuristics – we use daily to conserve cognitive resources. Other examples include:

• Anchoring – using a familiar reference point to estimate something unknown.

• Loss aversion – focusing more on avoiding losses than on potential future gains.

• Availability – being more influenced by information that confirms what we already believe or hope to be true.

These mental shortcuts often help us achieve our goals and make good enough decisions. However, our automatic behaviors also make us vulnerable to systematic errors, known as cognitive biases. For example, we may accidentally become digital members of SATS or fail to address climate change because we are unwilling to reduce our consumption (loss aversion). Or we may only notice information that supports our political views, rather than actually listening to opposing arguments (availability bias).

On the other hand, we are more easily influenced by friends or those we respect, as we tend to follow the norms of groups we belong to or aspire to join.

Social Influence (Conformity)

We all have a tendency to be influenced by those around us. We want what others have and often adjust our behavior to align with theirs. Research shows that the more similar others are to us, the more likely we are to copy their behavior.

Several studies have used insights about social influence to combat the overuse of antibiotics, one of the greatest threats to global health. One nudging method simply involved contacting doctors who were among the highest prescribers and informing them that they were prescribing significantly more antibiotics than their colleagues. The result was a significant reduction in prescriptions (S. Y. Wang & O. Groene).
These doctors were nudged to prescribe fewer antibiotics, which benefits both people and the planet, through the simple use of social comparison. We don’t want to stand out, especially not in a negative way.

Framing

This nudging method involves something as basic as how information is presented, which can influence people’s choices. The description of information – such as word choice or the order of questions in a form – can affect what people notice or perceive as the real choice.

In one study from the healthcare sector, researchers explored the effect of framing on surgery decisions (McNeil). When patients were told that 90% of those who underwent a specific surgery were still alive five years later, they were more likely to opt for the procedure. However, when told that 10% had died within five years, fewer chose the surgery.

Illustrasjoner: Netlife Design

Nudge for good!

When you’re designing a new service, selling a product, building a form, encouraging newsletter sign-ups, or asking for donations to your organization, you are acting as a choice architect. If you use nudging, it’s important that you:

• Understand how people make decisions, including their mental shortcuts and biases.

• Assess which nudging methods are most appropriate based on the context and what is best for the people affected.

• Design and test different solutions with real users.

• Evaluate, iterate, and improve continuously.

And finally, always remember to use these methods for the benefit of people, society, and the environment. Or, as Richard H. Thaler would say: “Nudge for good!”