Nudging the nudges: A probe into transparency effects

• Autor(a) principal: Monteiro, Tiago Alexandre Paçô Galiza
• Data de Publicação: 2023
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10071/30616
• topic: Economia comportamental -- Behavioral economics; Arquitetura da escolha -- Nudge theory; Anchoring; Benevolence; Transparency; Ancoragem; Benevolência; Transparência

Traditionally, economic models relied on rationality, assuming that people were utility maximizers with perfect information capabilities. These assumptions were abandoned as several psychologists and economists have demonstrated that individuals are subject to biases and cognitive failures. Within this realm, nudge theory, which states that our behavior can be effectively influenced through interventions, has shed light on how our judgment is systematically biased and altered by the decision making architecture. Among the ongoing discussion on the effectiveness and empirical application of nudges, a central question remains unanswered: are nudges effective only as far as they are not realized consciously by the target? This question naturally precedes a second question: Aren’t overt nudges more ethical than covert ones? To address this research gap, this study aims to determine how ascribed benevolence affects nudge effectiveness through transparency. Based on a sample of two groups (a pre-test on 86 participants and a test group of 141 participants), a 2x2 experimental study was conducted. Participants were randomly assigned to four distinct scenarios, characterized by variations in benevolence and transparency factors. These scenarios shared a common stimulus which had an anchoring nudge effect in a task involving a donation decision. The results indicate that disclosing nudges did not have a detrimental effect on donation behavior and that organizations perceived as more benevolent tend to receive greater donations. Furthermore, results emphasize the importance of considering the ascribed benevolence of the source.