In the crowded landscape of apps and digital tools, the term "nudge" has become a popular selling point. Companies are eager to claim that they use nudges to change behavior for the better. This is especially common in human resources management systems and leadership support apps, but personal apps that help with weight loss or mindfulness have also jumped on the nudge bandwagon.
But are these tools truly delivering nudges, or are they just delivering reminders and prompts?
The concept of a "nudge," in the context of promoting behavior change, actually has a precise definition. Cass Sunstein and Richard Thaler used the term in their book Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness, to describe their method of applying behavioral science to shape behavior and achieve goals. They define a nudge as:
"Any aspect of the choice architecture that alters people’s behavior in a predictable way without forbidding any options or significantly changing their economic incentives."
The ethical implications of nudges can be very consequential, but they’re not the topic of the current post, so we’ll focus on the first part of the definition here.
The real........