Nudging involves gently coaxing someone into a decision or behavior. The successful nudge is one that results in the desired choice or behavior without the person realizing any external influence.

The perfect nudge

<ul><li>Highlighting the decisions of others you consider influential. Reading “Most other guests staying at this hotel reuse towels,” may make you feel compelled to align your behavior with the majority.</li><li>“Injunctive norms” focus on how one should act in a particular situation. “Reusing towels meets a high standard for environmental responsibility,” highlights self-imposed standards. It involves a belief about right and wrong that consider abstract concepts.</li></ul>

Nudging methods

Nudges enhance or suppress virtuous behaviors. They cannot make people do something they don't want to do. They only encourage them to make a decision that may be hidden by other factors.

Nudging people

The mind seems to involve various simple systems throughout the body that are not always in agreement. Some systems are shortsighted, some care about relationships, and some prioritize the future of humanity.We are not always aware of each mechanism. Sometimes we make decisions carefully and other times intuitively.

Multiple systems of the mind

A way to nudge people involves changing the decision environment. For instance, a grocery store that is trying to encourage consumers to purchase ecologically responsible products will display the product repeatedly throughout the shop. It will re-trigger the internalized norm and will increase environmentally responsible purchases.

Setting the scene

Every day, you make important choices - about whether to feast on fries or take a brisk walk, whether to spend or save your paycheck, whether to buy the sustainable option or the disposable plastic one. Life is made up of countless decisions.

Multiple systems of the mind

Here's how you can be nudged to eat healthier, recycle and make better decisions every day

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