Nudge, not sludge

For some, the world is becoming increasingly complicated in that there are ever greater responsibilities, from selecting health insurance to figuring out how much to save for retirement. Ten years ago, my friend (and Harvard law professor) Cass Sunstein and I published a book called Nudge: Improving...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inScience (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 361; no. 6401; p. 431
Main Author Thaler, Richard H
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States The American Association for the Advancement of Science 03.08.2018
Subjects
Decision making
Global positioning systems
GPS
Retirement
Satellite navigation systems
Sludge
Smartphones
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Summary:For some, the world is becoming increasingly complicated in that there are ever greater responsibilities, from selecting health insurance to figuring out how much to save for retirement. Ten years ago, my friend (and Harvard law professor) Cass Sunstein and I published a book called Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness that offered a simple idea. By improving the environment in which people choose—what we call the “choice architecture”—they can make wiser choices without restricting any options. The Global Positioning System (GPS) technology on smartphones is an example. You decide where you want to go, the app offers possible routes, and you are free to decline the advice if you decide to take a detour. Sunstein and I stressed that the goal of a conscientious choice architect is to help people make better choices “as judged by themselves.” But what about activities that are essentially nudging for evil? This “sludge” just mucks things up and makes wise decision-making and prosocial activity more difficult.
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ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.aau9241