Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness

What is a nudge? In what domain do you think nudges are most effective? Try to think of areas of human behavior not discussed by Thaler and Sunstein. How might nudges usefully be applied? How could you self-apply them in your own life?

In what areas of your life are you the choice architect? Given the power of nudges, what is the responsibility of the choice architect and how could you integrate that into your personal practices (regarding household management, finance, etc.)?

Which human bias discussed in the book did you find the most surprising/disturbing and why? How do you think it could be addressed?

Thaler and Sunstein use behavioral economics in contrast to economic theories reliant on an idealized rational actor in the marketplace, the “Econ.” What does behavioral economics teach? Do you think it is a suitable replacement for classical economic theory? Do Thaler and Sunstein do a fair job presenting the idea of an “Econ”? Why or why not?

Thaler and Sunstein devote considerable space to economic planning and financial decision-making. What aspects of this discussion were the most revealing and why?

What is a default option and how does it work to nudge people in one direction or another? Should employers and governments employ default settings? Why or why not?

What is sludge? How is it similar to and different from a nudge? What is the fundamental problem with sludge? Explain this with reference to an example of sludge you find particularly troubling.

Given the data in Nudge, where do you stand on the issue of default settings and organ donation? How does your view intersect with various questions on social justice?