nudge theory

Question 1

nudges

Answer 1

small ways to influence behavior without limiting choices or changing rewards

Question 2

why is it hard to compare them

Answer 2

isn’t enough clear data about how well nudges work

Question 3

what does the study conclude when it comes to nudges for government and companies

Answer 3

government: much smaller
companies: much larger

Question 4

why is for companies the nudges that influence behavior much bigger?

Answer 4

1. amount of data used
2. differences in how nudges are designed
3. the tendency to publish only positive results

Question 5

Nudge units

Answer 5

are teams that use behavioral science to test ways to improve government services

Question 6

the nudge units conduct randomized controlled trials (RCTs), what is it

Answer 6

experiments designed to test if something works by comparing groups that receive different treatments (one gets the nudge and the other doesn’t)

Question 7

on what kind of areas focus nudge units?

Answer 7

Revenue, debt and workforce

Question 8

nudge units are conducted by?

Answer 8

government or applied teams

Question 9

whats the average impact of nudge units

Answer 9

smaller average impact

Question 10

scale interventions of nudge units

Answer 10

large populations in real-world government

Question 11

nudge units face what kind of constraints?

Answer 11

institutional constraints

Question 12

are the results more precise of nudge units

Answer 12

yes

Question 13

what do nudge units prioritize

Answer 13

policy outcomes rather than fighuring out why nudges work

Question 14

where do academic journals focus on?

Answer 14

health and environmental choices

Question 15

academic journals: big or small impact

Answer 15

big impact

Question 16

does impact of academic journals varies a lot

Answer 16

yes (heterogeneity)

Question 17

academic journals: large or small controlled experiments

Answer 17

small controlled

Question 18

focus on what behind nudges: academic journals

Answer 18

understanding the mechanisms

Question 19

Why are the effect sizes larger in academic studies

Answer 19

Because of selective publication bias—academics often publish studies with big results and ignore smaller or insignificant findings.

Question 20

What is the problem with academic studies on nudges?

Answer 20

They don’t fully reflect real-world conditions due to selective publication bias.

Question 21

Why are Nudge Unit studies more reliable?

Answer 21

They are conducted in real-world settings, providing a more realistic and consistent picture of how nudges work in practice.

Question 22

What does the conclusion recommend for governments and researchers?

Answer 22

Use Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) more widely to test policies and inform decision-making.

Question 23

What is selective publication bias?

Answer 23

The tendency of researchers to publish studies with large, significant results while ignoring smaller or insignificant ones.

Question 24

How do Nudge Unit and academic studies differ in usefulness for policy-making?

Answer 24

Nudge Unit studies are more practical for real-world policies, while academic studies may exaggerate results due to selective publication