A Question for the Nudgers

Tuesday, 5th January 2010

As we know, Team Dave are fans of Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein's Nudge. The authors advocate something called "libertarian paternalism". Steve Hilton, Cameron's style guru, is especially enthusiastic about using insights gleaned from behavioural economics to advance "progressive Conservatism". Here's one example he cites in a recent strategy memo:

A few years ago, the authorities in Montana managed to cut binge drinking amongst students - something that the Labour Government has tried and failed to do over the past decade. How? They simply put up advertising that stated: ‘80% of Montana college students drink fewer than four beers per week’. This led to an immediate fall in binge drinking because of the power of social norms. As various academic studies have shown, people typically like to feel like they are part of the norm - so as soon as these students were told that binge drinking was abnormal, they changed their behaviour.

I don't know if this is actually true or not (a quick search hasn't helped much). But my question for the Cameroons is this: does it matter? That is, if you can achieve a reduction in student drinking simply by claiming that "80% of Montana college students drink fewer than four beers a week", how much does it matter whether this statement is true or not?

In other words, while there may be times when "nudging" might be useful*, it's also easy to see how nudging could easily become just a polite word for manipulation.

Peter From Maidstone

January 5th, 2010 5:33pm Report this comment

Alex Massie, it is rather frightening that you can consider the state lying for the sake of social engineering to be an interesting and even a good thing. It is a good thing to seek to cut binge drinking, but the state using lies is not the way forward. We are where we are now through lies.

If you want to put up a poster then get some celebrities to have a TV ad campaign where they say - People who get drunk every weekend are wankers. Are you a wanker? Do you want to be known as a wanker?

That is all true. It does not resort to lies. It works to achieve the same end.

Here are some examples of existing state lies. We are all doomed by climate change - only huge amounts of taxation to fund the lavish lifestyles of MPs can save you. Or, there are no British people left who are able to work, we need vast hordes of immigrants to come and live here just to keep basic services going. Or, Islam is a friendly religion of peace and if only we meet the reasonable demands of Muslims around the world to demolish Western society then they will keep voting for Labour.

The truth will set you free! Lies never work.

Alex Massie

January 5th, 2010 5:38pm Report this comment

Peter: I think you misunderstand me if you think I'm approving of the lie - no matter how "noble" some might consider it. The question is for the fans of Thaler and Sunstein, not me.

Yow Min Lye

January 5th, 2010 6:20pm Report this comment

Ah well, here goes.

Attention Peter Tatchell: ninety-nine percent of men are happily heterosexual and prefer to lust after women not men...

Peter From Maidstone

January 5th, 2010 8:31pm Report this comment

Alex, then I gladly apologise for having misrepresented your post, and probably reading too much of the quote as your own words.

Stefan Wobben

January 10th, 2010 10:53am Report this comment

I think the question whether something is a nudge or manipulation is quit an interesting and important one to ask. On the web i come accros a lot of websites (architected choices) that seem more deceptive than persuasive to me. I wrote a short article about this matter and included examples of Ryanair and KPN. Looking forward your coments.
http://www.stefanwobben.com/persuasion/persuasion-or-deception/

Post comment