By Nick Chater and George Loewenstein
Our environmental and social problems are pressing and, in many countries, money is short and politics deadlocked. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there turned out to be a new way of making real progress cheaply and without getting enmeshed in party politics?
Such “nudges” seemed to offer the hope of addressing big social problems through small changes to reshape individual behaviour. Worried about rising obesity? Try smaller portion and plate sizes, and move the salad bar to the front of the cafeteria. Concerned about climate change? Put homeowners on “green energy” by default.
For a while, it appeared that a nudge revolution might be on the cards. An army of researchers (including us) searched for small tweaks to “choice architecture” that could drive changes in individual behaviour and make a big difference for society. Now was our chance to use psychological insights for a better world.