Nudges Flashcards
What is an Intervention?
A method uses to facilitate change in an individual
What is a Nudge?
How we can change people’s environments to nudge their self-regulation
Nudges don’t remove options, they?
Change the context to which they make options
Give an example of a nudge
Moving a coke bottle out of the way of someone e.g. out of sight, out of mind, this means they still have that option but are less likely to reach for it
Can Nudges change your behaviour?
Yes, but not if you are being rational e.g. if you are being rational about the coke bottle, you wouldn’t need to move it out of sight for you to ignore it
Give 3 examples of the Power of Default options
1) More likely to keep watching the channel that’s already on
2) Buy food at eye level in the supermarket
3) Eat more in a large group than alone
How do supermarkets take advantage of people’s Default biases?
Buy putting the most expensive food at eye level
Name 3 other words for Impulsive Systems
Hot, Fast, Impulsive
Name 3 other words for Reflective Systems
Cold, Slow, Controlled
What is Priming?
Activating a concept (goal) in someones mind by external cues, which can affect information processing, a type of nudge
Outline Bargh et al Priming Study using unscrambling words task
Participants were asked to unscramble a group of words either related to rudeness, politeness or neither, and were then measured the time it took them to interrupt the experimenter, and it was found that the group who were primed with words related to rudeness interrupted more frequently and quickly
Outline Bargh et al Priming Study on elderly words
Participants primed with elderly words compared to neutral words, walked slower when leaving the lab
Outline 2 Controversies with these Priming Studies
1) Failed to replicate the elderly words one
2) Experimenters who were blind to the condition and used infrared sensors as opposed to a stopwatch, found no effect of the prime, Bargh argued against these though
Name 2 other ways or Priming people
Priming people with pictures of a library makes them talk quieter, Priming people with pictures of cleaning spray makes them more tidy
What does Bargh’s Automotive Model say?
That we can pursue our goals unconsciously, as mental representations of goals are linked to representations of behaviours
What do our perceptions of cues do?
Trigger behaviour e.g. habits
What do environmental features do?
Automatically activate goals, which then automatically activates associated behaviours
Name the 4 Horsemen of Automaticity
1) Lack of awareness
2) Lack of intention e.g. no decision
3) Lack of control e.g. more difficult
4) Efficiency e.g. takes up less cognitive resources
What does Papie’s Model of Goal Priming say?
That a single concept is linked to other things e.g. feels, smells, this model is abstract which is a strength
Name the 3 stages of Papie’s Model of Goal Priming
Situational cues e.g. sitting on the sofa on a Friday night, Situated Conceptualisation e.g. relaxing with friends, and Behaviour e.g. crisps and beer and takeaway
What happens when we activate a concept?
We represent it in a relevant situation
What else should Priming interventions consider, after learning about Papie’s model?
Not only the behaviour, but also the situation where the behaviour takes place and the cognitive processes that are typically triggered in that situation
Making small changes in peoples environments can lead them to what?
Behave in ways that they were already wiling to, but might not have done without this nudge, which can happen without conscious awareness
Outline an example of Situated Conceptualisation
If you are in your comfortable pjs, this may make you unmotivated as its associated with bedtime
Name 3 nudges applied to self-regulation
1) Tend to go with the fast food side dish that’s a default option e.g. big fries as opposed to small (company makes more money)
2) Graphic labels on fag packets decrease smoking prevalence and increase quit attempts
3) In costa when they say “is that large?”, tend to go with large option even if you had no intention of ordering large
Why are people susceptible to these nudges influencing their self-control?
Because people are behaving on auto-pilot
Glasses marked with alcohol units improved the ability to estimate the unit content of drinks, but?
Did not decrease consumption
People are influenced by the size of a package or plate as a reason to eat more, what did people say about this?
Most people were unwilling to acknowledge that they could be influenced by something so insignificant (only 2% admitted this)
Name 3 problems with Brian Wansicks work?
1) QRPS 2) Misreporting 3) Sloppy Research
What was wrong with Wansicks research on the bottomless soup bowl, resulting in people eating 73% more soup?
The summary data wasn’t plausible or mathematically possible
Name 3 ways we can prime people to eat less
1) Smaller plates
2) Smaller portions
3) Wrap tempting food in foil
What happened in Papie’s and Veling’s Study on priming healthy eating?
Participants primed with diet related words on the menu, increased the likelihood of them making a healthy choice, but only among people who were either dieting or who usually dieted
What happens if you prime people with a story about an athlete?
More persistence on a self-control task
Interventions can benefit self-regulation, but?
Won’t cause people to pursue a goal if they didn’t have that goal in the first place
What is the Behavioural insights team?
AKA the Nudge unit, an organisation to apply nudge theory to improve government policy and save the government money
What are the 4 ethical principles for Interventions?
1) Beneficence
2) Lack of harm
3) Respect for autonomy
4) Justice e.g. not inequality
Why do companies nudge AKA sludge?
To maximise profits not welfare
Why could positive nudges be viewed negatively?
Can lead to a halo effect e.g. making healthy side dishes the default can lead people to underestimate the total calories
Why are intentions not translated ton behaviour?
Because situational cues trigger situated conceptualisations e.g. habits and impulses
How can automatic habits and impulses be changed?
Either by changing situational cues e.g. priming, nudging, Or behavioural inhibition training and mindfulness training
