Nudge theory was all about taking responsibility – but it allowed big business to look the other way
The Conversation
Two pioneers of this approach, Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein, argued that governments and institutions could “nudge” people by subtly redesigning the decision-making process. A typical nudge might involve making certain arrangements the default option, such as automatic enrolment into pension schemes. Or it might mean placing healthier meals first on menus.
Recent results from large meta-analyses (studies that bring together findings from many previous experiments) suggest that the effects of nudges and other individualistic interventions are disappointingly small.