We study the effects of reminders on people’s behavior in investment activities characterized by up-front costs and delayed benefits, such as getting an education and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. We conduct a field experiment and show that simple weekly reminders induce users of a gym to substantially increase their gym attendance over an extensive period. Users’ response to reminders is immediate (within hours) and recurrent for any subsequent reminder, which can be explained by limited attention. We find some evidence of habit formation, leading to more frequent physical activity also after treatment, although with an effect smaller than during treatment. Simple reminders are thus a cost-effective policy tool.
Effective Reminders / Giacomo Calzolari; Mattia Nardotto. - In: MANAGEMENT SCIENCE. - ISSN 1526-5501. - STAMPA. - 63:9(2017), pp. 2915-2932. [10.1287/mnsc.2016.2499]
Effective Reminders
Giacomo Calzolari;
2017
Abstract
We study the effects of reminders on people’s behavior in investment activities characterized by up-front costs and delayed benefits, such as getting an education and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. We conduct a field experiment and show that simple weekly reminders induce users of a gym to substantially increase their gym attendance over an extensive period. Users’ response to reminders is immediate (within hours) and recurrent for any subsequent reminder, which can be explained by limited attention. We find some evidence of habit formation, leading to more frequent physical activity also after treatment, although with an effect smaller than during treatment. Simple reminders are thus a cost-effective policy tool.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
