Self-nudging online

Mar 6, 2023

What is the boost?

Self-nudging online refers to self-imposed interventions in one’s proximal digital choice architecture aimed at enhancing self-governance and lowering distractions.

Which challenges does the boost tackle?

Distracting information environments.

How does it work?

People act as their own choice architects by applying psychological principles behind nudges to their own proximate digital environments. For instance, just as one can remove tempting junk food from view, one can also hide addictive social media apps.

Which competences does the boost foster?

Self-governance.

What is the evidence behind it?

Related evidence behind nudging interventions and research on situational control and habits formation (see review in Kozyreva et al., 2020).

Key reference

Hertwig, R., & Reijula, S. (2020). Creating citizen choice architects. Behavioral Scientist. https://behavioralscientist.org/creating-citizen-choice-architects/
Kozyreva, A., Lewandowsky, S., & Hertwig, R. (2020). Citizens versus the internet: Confronting digital challenges with cognitive tools. [see section “Self-nudging: boosting control over one’s digital environment”, pp. 132–135] Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 21(3), 103–156, https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100620946707
Reijula, S., & Hertwig, R. (2022). Self-nudging and the citizen choice architect. Behavioural Public Policy, 6(1), 119–149. https://doi.org/10.1017/bpp.2020.5

*Illustration*: Self-nudging interventions in online environments. A summary of potential self-nudging interventions to enhance people’s control over their digital environments and their privacy protection online. Based in part on [Center for Humane Technology and Epstein (2017)](https://www.humanetech.com/take-control). Source: [Kozyreva et al (2020)](https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100620946707). — *Illustration*: Self-nudging interventions in online environments. A summary of potential self-nudging interventions to enhance people’s control over their digital environments and their privacy protection online. Based in part on Center for Humane Technology and Epstein (2017). Source: Kozyreva et al (2020).