In 2017, economist Richard Thaler was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics for his contribution to behavioural economics through the “nudge theory”, which seeks to help people make better decisions that benefit them in the long term. Thaler demonstrated how this “nudge” can help people exercise better self-control in many life situations, such as savings, health, sport and even social relationships.
The theory challenges the traditional notion that people always make rational, autonomous decisions, and proposes a more realistic approach that takes into account human cognitive biases and limitations.
A close and everyday example is physical activity, which for many people involves a great deal of effort. This is where the present bias comes into play, in which temptations that offer immediate gratification (such as sleeping more, enjoying a movie or spending time on social media) are preferred over those that provide long-term rewards (physical, financial or mental health).
The way behavioral sciences call this “nudging” strategy is the application of nudgesBehavioral scientists often mention it, and far from being a complicated concept, it is quite simple and can be easily adopted by anyone.
And nudge It is a way of influencing the brain’s automatic processes through small modifications in the environment or in the presentation of options, so that, without conscious effort, better decisions are made. This is because the context in which decisions are made always shapes the choices.
Returning to the example of physical activity, some nudges son:
- Prepare your sportswear and leave it in a visible place.
- Use visual reminders like notes on the bathroom mirror or setting an alarm on your phone
- Instead of doing long sessions, start with small changes like walking instead of taking the elevator.
- Use an app or smartwatch that counts daily steps and allows you to set achievable goals.
- Make a commitment to exercise with someone close to you.
A good decision-making architect identifies biases and designs the context that favors the desired objective, since relying excessively on willpower and motivation is not effective, which is what is called optimism bias. It is preferable to recognize limited rationality and modify the environment to make it easier to carry out an activity, or in other cases to make it more difficult, as in the case of cell phone use or unhealthy foods.
Initially, the context is being modified, until the brain generates and strengthens new brain connections and after many repetitions it becomes an automatic process, which is what is known as habits. That is, change can be started with nudges which repeated over and over again will make them unnecessary. It is about starting with small pushes to achieve big changes.