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When do "Nudges" Increase Welfare?

Author

Listed:
  • Hunt Allcott
  • Daniel Cohen
  • William Morrison
  • Dmitry Taubinsky

Abstract

We use public finance sufficient statistic approaches to characterize the welfare effects of “nudges,” such as simplified information and warning labels, in markets with taxes and endogenous prices. While many studies focus on average effects, we show that welfare also depends on how the nudge affects the variance of choice distortions, and average effects become irrelevant with zero pass-through or optimal taxes. We implement the framework with experiments evaluating automotive fuel economy labels and sugary drink health labels. Labels decrease purchases of low-fuel economy cars and sugary drinks but may decrease welfare, because they increase the variance of choice distortions.

Suggested Citation

  • Hunt Allcott & Daniel Cohen & William Morrison & Dmitry Taubinsky, 2022. "When do "Nudges" Increase Welfare?," NBER Working Papers 30740, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:30740
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    Cited by:

    1. Cecilia Castaldo & Matilde Giaccherini & Giacomo Pallante & Alessandro Palma, 2024. "Unveiling Shades of Green Food beyond Labels. Evidence from an Online Experiment to Climate Adaptation," CESifo Working Paper Series 11161, CESifo.
    2. Paul M. Lohmann & Elisabeth Gsottbauer & Christina Gravert & Lucia A. Reisch, 2024. "Nudging, fast and slow: Experimental evidence from food choices under time pressure," CEBI working paper series 24-19, University of Copenhagen. Department of Economics. The Center for Economic Behavior and Inequality (CEBI).

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    JEL classification:

    • D90 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - General
    • H0 - Public Economics - - General

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