Public attitudes towards choice architectural nudge interventions
Authors
Nørnberg, Trine Riebeling ; Houlby, Louise
Term
4. term
Publication year
2014
Pages
152
Abstract
Mange europæere spiser for få grøntsager, især børn og unge. Fordi vaner fra tidligt i livet ofte varer ved, er teenagere en vigtig målgruppe. Nudging, også kaldet valgarkitektur, handler om små ændringer i, hvordan valgmuligheder præsenteres, så det bliver lettere at vælge det sunde uden at forbyde noget. Værktøjet er omdiskuteret, bl.a. fordi det udnytter kognitive bias og virker delvist ubevidst, og derfor kan opleves som paternalistisk eller manipulerende. Samtidig er evidensen begrænset, og der mangler viden om befolkningens holdninger. Denne afhandling undersøgte, hvilke faktorer der påvirker danske teenageres holdninger til nudges i skolen, der skal øge grøntsagsindtaget. Vi udviklede, validerede og udsendte et spørgeskema baseret på Theory of Planned Behaviour (adfærd formes af holdninger, sociale normer og oplevet kontrol) og Dual Process Theory (automatiske vs. mere overvejede processer). Svarene blev analyseret med faktoranalyse og strukturelle ligningsmodeller (SEM) for at afdække sammenhænge. Faktorerne 'buffetvaner', 'oplevet indtag', 'sociale normer' og 'ansvar' havde en signifikant sammenhæng med holdningen til nudges, mens 'selveffektivitet' og 'oplevet sundhed' kun havde svage sammenhænge. Respondenterne var generelt positive over for mindre indgribende nudges og mere negative over for tiltag, der sigtede mod deres selvbillede. De fandt det acceptabelt, at skolen forsøger at påvirke sundhedsadfærd, men så det ikke som skolens egentlige pligt eller ansvar. Undersøgelsen kan ikke sige, om holdning fører til adfærd; fremtidige studier kunne derfor kombinere spørgeskemaet med faktisk eksponering for nudges for at se, om resultaterne hænger sammen.
Many Europeans eat too few vegetables, especially children and adolescents. Because habits formed early in life tend to persist, teenagers are a key group. Nudging, also called choice architecture, involves small changes in how options are presented so healthier choices become easier without banning anything. This tool is debated because it draws on cognitive biases and works partly outside awareness, and can be seen as paternalistic or manipulative. At the same time, the evidence base is limited, and public attitudes have been little studied. This thesis examined which factors shape Danish teenagers’ attitudes toward school-based nudges designed to increase vegetable intake. A questionnaire was developed, validated and distributed, drawing on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (behavior shaped by attitudes, social norms and perceived control) and Dual Process Theory (automatic vs. more deliberative processes). Responses were analyzed using factor analysis and structural equation modeling to identify relationships. The factors 'buffet habits', 'perceived intake', 'social norms' and 'responsibility' were significantly associated with attitudes to nudges, whereas 'self-efficacy' and 'perceived health' showed only weak associations. Respondents were generally positive toward less intrusive nudges and more negative toward nudges targeting their self-image. They found it acceptable for schools to try to influence health-related behavior, but did not see this as the schools’ obligation or responsibility. The study cannot determine whether attitudes translate into behavior; future research could combine the questionnaire with actual exposure to nudges to test whether findings align across methods.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
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