Behavioral Public Policy and Well-Being: Towards a Normative Demarcation of Nudges and Sludges

Abstract

Nudging and sludging are two types of interventions that utilize choice architecture to shape behavior. Nudging promotes the adoption of behaviors that individuals perceive to be in their best interests, while sludging discourages such behaviors. While it is generally assumed that nudging should improve well-being and sludging should decrease it, there has been debate on how to differentiate between the two. Some have suggested that the distinction lies in the ease with which behaviors are facilitated or hindered, but this criterion fails to consider the impact on well-being. This paper proposes a normative approach to defining nudging and sludging that takes into account both well-being and the principle of autonomy. According to our proposal, the concept of nudging should involve interventions that necessarily aim to increase well-being while respecting individuals' freedom of choice, while sludging involves interventions that (intentionally or unintentionally) decrease well-being while also respecting autonomy. This approach allows for a clearer distinction between nudging and sludging based on the intent of the choice architect, the impact on well-being, and respect for autonomy, rather than solely on the psychological mechanisms (facilitation or hindrance) by which they influence behavior.

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