Cueing Healthier Alternatives for Take-away: a Field Experiment on the Effects of (disclosing) Three Nudges on Food Choices

Overview

Journal BMC Public Health

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Public Health

Date 2019 Jul 24

PMID 31331307

Citations 10

Authors

Tracy T L Cheung

Marleen Gillebaart

Floor M Kroese

David Marchiori

Bob M Fennis

Denise T D de Ridder

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: The current field experiment demonstrates the effectiveness of nudging to promote healthy food choices.

Methods: Three types of nudges were implemented at a take-away food vendor: 1) an accessibility nudge that placed fruits at the front counter; 2) a salience nudge that presented healthy bread rolls to be more visually attractive; and 3) a social proof nudge that conveyed yoghurt as a popular choice. We additionally assessed whether nudging effects would remain robust when a disclosure message was included. The field experiment was conducted over a seven-week period. The measured outcome was the sales of the targeted healthy food products.

Results: The accessibility nudge significantly increased the sales of the fresh fruits. The impact of the salience nudge was limited presumably due to existing preferences or habits that typically facilitate bread purchases. As the sales of the yoghurt shakes remained consistently low over the seven-week period the impact of the social proof nudge remained unexamined. Critically, disclosing the purpose of the nudges did not interfere with effects.

Conclusions: Current findings suggest nudging as an effective strategy for healthy food promotion, and offer implications for topical debate regarding the ethics of nudges.

Citing Articles

The role of attention and health goals in nudging healthy food choice.

Gillebaart M, Blom S, Benjamins J, de Boer F, de Ridder D Front Psychol. 2023; 14:1270207.

PMID: 37928596 PMC: 10620715. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1270207.

The effects of default nudges on promoting approval of welfare cuts: An exploration during COVID-19.

Liu X, Zhao N, Zheng R Front Psychol. 2023; 13:1038750.

PMID: 36710739 PMC: 9874108. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1038750.

Evaluation of two social norms nudge interventions to promote healthier food choices in a Canadian grocery store.

Suleman S, Sweeney-Magee M, Pinkney S, Charbonneau K, Banh K, Hale I BMC Public Health. 2022; 22(1):1946.

PMID: 36266681 PMC: 9583495. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-14370-8.

Are You "Nudgeable"? Factors Affecting the Acceptance of Healthy Eating Nudges in a Cafeteria Setting.

Kawa C, Gijselaers W, Nijhuis J, Ianiro-Dahm P Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022; 19(7).

PMID: 35409789 PMC: 8998962. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19074107.

Nudgeability: Mapping Conditions of Susceptibility to Nudge Influence.

Ridder D, Kroese F, van Gestel L Perspect Psychol Sci. 2021; 17(2):346-359.

PMID: 34424801 PMC: 8902020. DOI: 10.1177/1745691621995183.

References

Marcelino A, Adam A, Couronne T, Koster E, Sieffermann J . Internal and external determinants of eating initiation in humans. Appetite. 2001; 36(1):9-14. DOI: 10.1006/appe.2000.0375. View

Wansink B . Environmental factors that increase the food intake and consumption volume of unknowing consumers. Annu Rev Nutr. 2004; 24:455-79. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.nutr.24.012003.132140. View

Strack F, Deutsch R . Reflective and impulsive determinants of social behavior. Pers Soc Psychol Rev. 2004; 8(3):220-47. DOI: 10.1207/s15327957pspr0803_1. View

Evans J . Dual-processing accounts of reasoning, judgment, and social cognition. Annu Rev Psychol. 2007; 59:255-78. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.psych.59.103006.093629. View

Bargh J, Morsella E . The Unconscious Mind. Perspect Psychol Sci. 2008; 3(1):73-9. PMC: 2440575. DOI: 10.1111/j.1745-6916.2008.00064.x. View

Krieglmeyer R, Deutsch R, De Houwer J, De Raedt R . Being moved: valence activates approach-avoidance behavior independently of evaluation and approach-avoidance intentions. Psychol Sci. 2010; 21(4):607-13. DOI: 10.1177/0956797610365131. View

Jacobson R, Mortensen C, Cialdini R . Bodies obliged and unbound: differentiated response tendencies for injunctive and descriptive social norms. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2010; 100(3):433-48. DOI: 10.1037/a0021470. View

Maas J, de Ridder D, de Vet E, de Wit J . Do distant foods decrease intake? The effect of food accessibility on consumption. Psychol Health. 2011; 27 Suppl 2:59-73. DOI: 10.1080/08870446.2011.565341. View

Capacci S, Mazzocchi M, Shankar B, Macias J, Verbeke W, Perez-Cueto F . Policies to promote healthy eating in Europe: a structured review of policies and their effectiveness. Nutr Rev. 2012; 70(3):188-200. DOI: 10.1111/j.1753-4887.2011.00442.x. View

10.

Thorndike A, Sonnenberg L, Riis J, Barraclough S, Levy D . A 2-phase labeling and choice architecture intervention to improve healthy food and beverage choices. Am J Public Health. 2012; 102(3):527-33. PMC: 3329221. DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2011.300391. View

11.

Cohen D, Babey S . Contextual influences on eating behaviours: heuristic processing and dietary choices. Obes Rev. 2012; 13(9):766-79. PMC: 3667220. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-789X.2012.01001.x. View

12.

Sheeran P, Gollwitzer P, Bargh J . Nonconscious processes and health. Health Psychol. 2012; 32(5):460-73. DOI: 10.1037/a0029203. View

13.

Marteau T, Hollands G, Fletcher P . Changing human behavior to prevent disease: the importance of targeting automatic processes. Science. 2012; 337(6101):1492-5. DOI: 10.1126/science.1226918. View

14.

Skov L, Lourenco S, Hansen G, Mikkelsen B, Schofield C . Choice architecture as a means to change eating behaviour in self-service settings: a systematic review. Obes Rev. 2012; 14(3):187-96. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-789X.2012.01054.x. View

15.

van Kleef E, Otten K, van Trijp H . Healthy snacks at the checkout counter: a lab and field study on the impact of shelf arrangement and assortment structure on consumer choices. BMC Public Health. 2012; 12:1072. PMC: 3575369. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-12-1072. View

16.

Mollen S, Rimal R, Ruiter R, Kok G . Healthy and unhealthy social norms and food selection. Findings from a field-experiment. Appetite. 2013; 65:83-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2013.01.020. View

17.

Hanks A, Just D, Wansink B . Smarter lunchrooms can address new school lunchroom guidelines and childhood obesity. J Pediatr. 2013; 162(4):867-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2012.12.031. View

18.

Salmon S, Fennis B, de Ridder D, Adriaanse M, de Vet E . Health on impulse: when low self-control promotes healthy food choices. Health Psychol. 2013; 33(2):103-9. DOI: 10.1037/a0031785. View

19.

Junghans A, Evers C, de Ridder D . Eat me if you can: cognitive mechanisms underlying the distance effect. PLoS One. 2013; 8(12):e84643. PMC: 3867504. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0084643. View

20.

Ridder D, Adriaanse M, Evers C, Verhoeven A . Who diets? Most people and especially when they worry about food. Appetite. 2014; 80:103-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2014.05.011. View