How to Choose

Cass R. Sunstein ()
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Cass R. Sunstein: Harvard University

Chapter Chapter 4 in Human Agency and Behavioral Economics, 2017, pp 73-85 from Palgrave Macmillan

Abstract: Abstract How does one choose between educativeEducative nudges and noneducativeNoneducative nudges nudges? One answer points to social welfareWelfare : Which kind of nudge increases it? That question requires an inquiry into costs and benefits. Often educative nudgesNudge have low costs and high benefits, but sometimes they accomplish little, for example where people lack the motivation or the capacity to learn. Noneducative nudges can be simpler and more automatic. If the concern is autonomyAutonomy or dignityDignity , educative nudgesNudge have some advantages, because they equip people to make their own choices. But educative nudges can also sap autonomyAutonomy , at least where they intrude on people’s limited “bandwidth,” andBandwidth force them to devote their time and attention to issues on which they prefer not to focus.

Keywords: Mandates; Freedom of choice; Present bias; Decison costs; Error costs (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:pal:paichp:978-3-319-55807-3_4

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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-55807-3_4

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