A one-sentence nudge against present focus

Ilia Aliaev () and Hubert Janos Kiss ()
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Ilia Aliaev: Corvinus University of Budapest
Hubert Janos Kiss: ELTE KRTK & Corvinus University of Budapest

Economics Bulletin, 2026, vol. 46, issue 2, 675 - 683

Abstract: We test whether a single neutral sentence can reduce present-focused intertemporal choices. In a pre-registered classroom experiment ($N=210$) at Corvinus University of Budapest, first-year students made eight incentivized choices between HUF~10{,}000 immediately and larger amounts paid in two weeks. The treatment added a one-line, non-directive prompt---``Think carefully about all the possibilities that money would provide you''---intended to shift attention from emph{when} money arrives to emph{what} it enables. Treated participants switch to the later--larger option at lower premia (about $0.1$--$0.2$ SD), but estimates are imprecise and not statistically significant. We interpret the pattern as consistent with a small effect, suggesting that this minimal prompt may be too weak at the stakes and two-week horizon studied.

Keywords: Experiment; Framing; Nudge; Present bias; Present focus (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C9 D9 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-06-30
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