Comments on Behaviorally Informed by Cass R. Sunstein Varun Gauri - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Comments on “Behaviorally Informed” by Cass R. Sunstein

Varun Gauri World Bank June 9,2016

• 1. Long Term Effects
• Lowering future attentional costs (Madrian

and Shea 2001)

• Technological lock in (Alcott and Rogers 2014)
• “Nudge and flow” (Goyer et al, in press)
• Habits

• 2. Libertarian paternalism

“Suppose, for example, that a particular default rule would place a strong majority of the relevant population in the situation that they would favor if they made an informed choice. If so there, there is a legitimate reason to adopt that default rule (with the understanding that for those who differ form the majority, it remains possible to opt out).”

• 3. Dynamics of social norms

“Consider as well the problem of distracted

• driving. On October 1, 2009, the President

issued an executive order that bans federal employees from texting while driving. Such steps can help promote a social norm against texting while driving, thus reducing risks.”

• 4. Will nudging become a craft or science?

“It is true that if these findings are taken as a whole and in the abstract, they will not lead to a clear or unique prediction about heavier. Particular situations must be investigated in detail in order to understand likely outcomes”

Nudging the nudgers

• Governance is core bottleneck in development
• Behavioral insights could also help with:

– Productivity and effort – Impartiality and objectivity – Governance by indicators