Judd Kessler, Wharton professor of business economics and public policy, discusses his research examining how the framing of organ donor registration questions — such as opt-in versus yes/no formats — impacts real-world donor sign-ups, revealing surprising insights about what truly drives people to say “yes” to saving lives.
“There are currently more than 100,000 people on organ donor lists right now here in the United States, and every 8 minutes another person is added to one of those lists. Approximately 48,000 transplants took place in 2024, but the number of people saying they will donate organs continues to be an important topic to look at. Data shows that about two in five people say that they are registered to donate organs. But how do you get that number higher so that we can potentially help those in need?”