Can Nudging Only Get You So Far? Testing for Crowd Out Effects

30 Pages Posted: 11 May 2021

See all articles by Peter Howley

Peter Howley

University of Leeds - Faculty of Business

Neel Ocean

University of Warwick

Date Written: May 7, 2021

Abstract

There is an emerging body of evidence to suggest that nudges can motivate behaviour change. The
question as to whether using nudges in tandem “crowds out” the marginal effectiveness of each one has attracted little attention. Using a randomised survey experiment consisting of 1800 farmers, we tested the impact of two nudge-interventions (injunctive norm and social signalling) designed to encourage technology adoption. We subsequently tested the effectiveness of these nudges when implemented in combination. Our findings are indicative of limited crowd out effects, and more generally suggest that there may be considerable scope for employing non-monetary interventions in combination when it comes to encouraging technology uptake.

Keywords: farmer behaviour, nudges, social norms, status, crowd-out, combination nudge

Suggested Citation

Howley, Peter and Ocean, Neel, Can Nudging Only Get You So Far? Testing for Crowd Out Effects (May 7, 2021). Leeds University Business School Working Paper , Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3841593 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3841593

Peter Howley (Contact Author)

University of Leeds - Faculty of Business ( email )

Leeds LS2 9JT
United Kingdom

Neel Ocean

University of Warwick

Gibbet Hill Rd.
Coventry, West Midlands CV4 8UW
United Kingdom

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