Gain Without Pain: The Extended Effects of a Behavioral Health Intervention

Daniel Mochon (), Janet Schwartz (), Josiase Maroba (), Deepak Patel () and Dan Ariely ()
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Daniel Mochon: A.B. Freeman School of Business, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118
Janet Schwartz: A.B. Freeman School of Business, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118
Josiase Maroba: Discovery Vitality, Sandton 2146, South Africa
Deepak Patel: Discovery Vitality, Sandton 2146, South Africa
Dan Ariely: Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27705

Management Science, 2017, vol. 63, issue 1, 58-72

Abstract: We examine the extended effects of an incentive-based behavioral health intervention designed to improve nutrition behavior. Although the intervention successfully improved the target behavior, less is known about any spillovers, positive or negative, that impacted the program’s net benefit. This novel examination presents an opportunity to advance our knowledge of this important question, particularly because many theories predict that balancing behaviors in other domains (e.g., reduced exercise) can occur. Our results show a positive and long-lasting persistence effect for the treatment group, even after the incentive was removed. Moreover, we observe no negative spillover effects into related domains such as exercise, and no negative impact on customer loyalty. These results support the use of incentive-based interventions and highlight the importance, for both theory and practice, of examining their extended effects.

Keywords: behavioral interventions; self-control; health; precommitment; incentives (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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