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3 Ways You’re Being Nudged
The concept of “nudging” has transformed how behavioral science is applied outside of academia. It refers to the art of crafting a person’s decision-making environment so that they’re subtly biased toward one decision over another. Businesses love it because they can quickly and cheaply attract more customers. And governments love it because they can encourage people to act in desirable ways without necessarily changing laws or restricting freedoms.
Nudges are now ubiquitous enough that you probably experience them all the time. For example, one common technique relates to social proof. When you visit a website to look for a product or service, you might notice a message that says something like “53 people are currently looking at this product!” or “16 people purchased this in the last week!”. These messages stimulate an urge to fit in and they instill a fear of missing out on what others are enjoying. They’re simple nudges based on the knowledge that social influence is powerful enough to drive people’s decision-making.
Surprisingly though, despite the widespread practice of nudging, the science on its effectiveness is still limited. Questions like “Does nudging work?” are too simplistic because there are so many different types of nudge. Some types are likely to work well while others aren’t, and it’s important to know which is which.
