In This Choice Architecture and Beyond! A Quasi-Experimental Field Study Exploring Temporal Spillover Effects of Nudges

When aiming to change consumers’ behavior, marketers and policy makers are increasingly looking at findings from behavioral economics, especially the nudging concept (Thaler & Sunstein, 2008). The effectiveness of nudges is often limited to the situation in which the choice architecture is altered. However, the existence of spillover effects could have the potential to amplify the effectiveness of nudges. This study investigates whether nudges can alter behavior beyond one choice situation in such a way that they affect a subsequent choice. To achieve temporal spillover effects, we develop a social identity nudge by innovatively synthesizing the nudging concept and Oyserman’s identity-based motivation process model. We conducted a quasi-experimental field study and observed students’ walking behavior in a natural setting. In N = 13,186 observations, we observed the behavior-altering effects of a salience nudge and a social identity nudge. The results show the expected temporal spillover effect for the social identity nudge. Although we did not expect it, results also show a temporal spillover effect for the salience nudge. These findings provide insights into the range of nudging effects and have potential implications for marketers and policy makers who use nudges as a cost-efficient tool to alter consumers’ behavior.