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Published in: Cognitive Processing 1/2024

23-09-2023 | Research Article

Use of default option nudge and individual differences in everyday life decisions

Authors: Micaela Maria Zucchelli, Elisa Gambetti, Fiorella Giusberti, Raffaella Nori

Published in: Cognitive Processing | Issue 1/2024

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Abstract

People often make inefficient decisions for themselves and the community (e.g. they underuse medical screenings or vaccines and they do not vote) also because of their individual characteristics, such as their level of avoidance or anxiety. In recent years, governments have successfully applied strategies, called “nudges”, to help people maximizing their decisions in several fields; however, the role of individual characteristics has been poorly explored. The present study investigated whether one kind of nudge, the default option (automatic enrolment in a specific plan), can modulate the influence of such individual differences, promoting favourable decisions in different field, such as the medical and civic ones. One hundred and eighty-three participants completed the Trait Anxiety Inventory, the General Decision-Making Styles Inventory and scenarios about health and civic decisions. Participants have hypothetically been enrolled by default or not enrolled in specific plans and had to decide whether adhere or not to the plan proposed. Result showed that the default option drives anxious and avoidant individuals, who usually refuse to make a choice due to their overestimation of negative events’ occurrence, to undergo medical screenings and vaccine and to vote more. Nudge confirmed its effectiveness in favouring better decisions among people according to their individual differences.

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Appendix
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Metadata
Title
Use of default option nudge and individual differences in everyday life decisions
Authors
Micaela Maria Zucchelli
Elisa Gambetti
Fiorella Giusberti
Raffaella Nori
Publication date
23-09-2023
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Cognitive Processing / Issue 1/2024
Print ISSN: 1612-4782
Electronic ISSN: 1612-4790
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10339-023-01161-1

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