Can defaults change behavior when post-intervention effort is required?

Behlen, Lars and Himmler, Oliver and Jaeckle, Robert (2022): Can defaults change behavior when post-intervention effort is required?

Abstract

Nothing is known about the effectiveness of defaults when moving the target outcome requires substantial post-intervention effort. With two field experiments in higher education, we investigate howdefaults fare in such situations. We change the exam signup procedure to "opt-out" for a single exam (Exp 1), and for many exams (Exp2). Both interventions increase sign-up at the beginning of the semester. Downstream, at the end of the semester, opt-out increases task completion (exam participation) for a single exam but not for many exams. For the single exam, effects on passing (successful task completion) are heterogeneous: students responsive to unrelated university requests convert increased sign-ups into passed exams. For non-responsive students, increased sign-ups result in failed exams due to no-shows. Defaults can thus be effective but need to be carefully targeted.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Default, Randomized Field Experiment, Higher Education
• Subjects: C - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods > C9 - Design of Experiments > C93 - Field Experiments; D - Microeconomics > D0 - General > D02 - Institutions: Design, Formation, Operations, and Impact; D - Microeconomics > D9 - Intertemporal Choice > D91 - Intertemporal Household Choice ; Life Cycle Models and Saving; I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I2 - Education and Research Institutions > I23 - Higher Education ; Research Institutions; J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J1 - Demographic Economics > J18 - Public Policy; J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J2 - Demand and Supply of Labor > J24 - Human Capital ; Skills ; Occupational Choice ; Labor Productivity

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