“Of all of the tools in the choice architect’s repertoire, default rules may be the most promising; they are almost certainly the most discussed. Whether the area involves savings behavior, poverty reduction, or the environment, default rules have had significant effects on outcomes.”
Cass Sunstein, 20171
Introduction
The concept of creating or changing default settings is possibly one of the most powerful ‘nudges’ in any behavioural scientist’s ‘toolbox’ – one of the surest ways of changing people’s behaviour. By defaults, we mean that when people are presented with default options already set, or are automatically enrolled into something, they...