What we can learn from five naturalistic field experiments that failed to shift commuter behaviour

Ariella S. Kristal () and Ashley V. Whillans
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Ariella S. Kristal: Harvard Business School
Ashley V. Whillans: Harvard Business School

Nature Human Behaviour, 2020, vol. 4, issue 2, 169-176

Abstract: Abstract Across five field experiments with employees of a large organization (n = 68,915), we examined whether standard behavioural interventions (‘nudges’) successfully reduced single-occupancy vehicle commutes. In Studies 1 and 2, we sent letters and emails with nudges designed to increase carpooling. These interventions failed to increase carpool sign-up or usage. In Studies 3a and 4, we examined the efficacy of other well-established behavioural interventions: non-cash incentives and personalized travel plans. Again, we found no positive effect of these interventions. Across studies, effect sizes ranged from Cohen’s d = −0.01 to d = 0.05. Equivalence testing, using study-specific smallest effect sizes of interest, revealed that the treatment effects observed in four out of five of our experiments were statistically equivalent to zero (P

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41562-019-0795-z

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