Does nudging work?

Can nudges really change things in the long run? 

Ever since Thaler and Sunstein's important book came out in 2008, people have been excited about nudges for helping them choose. But here's the big question: do they actually make a difference over time? Our research digs into this. While nudges are good at getting people to decide on something at first, like picking a default option or avoiding a bad choice, they don't always keep people committed in the long term. 

Think of it like this: when nudged to choose something, people usually go along with it at first. But as time passes, they tend to use that choice less often and for shorter periods compared to when they decide without any nudges. This difference between short-term agreement and long-term commitment is important, especially for programs that want to help with things like health, money, and making society better. It makes us question how effective nudges really are in making lasting changes and reminds us to think about the long-term effects when designing programs.