Area: Behavioral Decision Making
Out of the Blue, a Colon Cancer Screening Kit Arrives
That approach, closer to an opt-out, beat three nudges, or opt-ins at encouraging younger people to get tested
Overcoming Obstacles to Taking Better Care of Your Future Self
Hal Hershfield’s book offers research-backed methods to build a healthier, happier, more financially secure life
Oversight of Borrowed Money Creates Animosity
Friends lending to friends, taxpayers bailing out businesses feel it’s still their money and have opinions on how it’s spent
People Prioritize Shared Experiences, Even When Apart
People will endure inconvenience to synchronize events, regardless of proximity
Quirk of the ACT Test — Rounding to a Whole Number — Offers Rare Isolated Glimpse of the Value of Scores
Tracking the impact of a small test-score difference on college attendance and later life
Replicating a Successful Nudge in Health Care: Advice for Skeptics
How it often goes wrong and key observations for effective strategies
Research on Food Assistance Attitudes Shows People Overestimate Stigma Around Welfare
But correcting this misperception doesn’t necessarily boost applications
Retailing Cross-Platform Win: A Pop-Up Store Boosts Online Sales
Alibaba finds a fresh twist on an old-school store is an effective marketing tool
Save, Save, Save, but Then What? Financial Structure and Spending in Retirement
Innumerable nudges help savings accumulation; now researchers turn to decumulation
Schooling Alongside Minorities Reduces White Students’ Tendency to Vote Republican
One system’s end to busing offers data on integration’s impact on future partisanship
Sensitivity to Debt Type Predicts Financial Health
Research reveals that those wary of payday loans tend to manage their finances better
Simple Prompts Reduce Common Fear of Social Security ‘Going Broke’
Reminding people that payroll taxes will keep flowing in — even after the trust funds hit zero — helps them understand benefits won’t disappear
Smartphone Records Reveal Racial Disparities in Neighborhood Policing
Police patrol Black areas more frequently than others with similar homicide rates and income levels
Texting Our Way Closer to Herd Immunity
A simple message with a behavioral nudge boosts vaccination rate
The Case for Field Experiments in Behavioral Research
Nudges already proven to work in the real-world increased uptake of COVID-19 boosters; nudges based on lab findings and expert insights, not so much