Defaults have a disproportionately large impact on our psychology, surpassing the effects of information campaigns, reminders, and incentives, transforming institutions without limiting choice.
Defaults are powerful because we tend to stick with preset options due to psychological inertia and implicit trust in the default choice. Our brain tends to take the path of least resistance, making defaults an effective way to guide behavior.
These are two psychological mechanisms: effort minimization and endorsement. We not only try to preserve physical and cognitive resources by choosing the default option, but also assume that if an option is the default, it must be preferable.
We not only have to make a physical effort when we select the non-default option by placing a check mark next to it, but also have to make tough decisions, which creates cognitive friction. Additionally, we sometimes have to make socially unacceptable choices, which can create social friction.
When it comes to a plant-based diet, imagine having to check the ingredients at the supermarket or at dinner with your family. It is not only physically and cognitively challenging to determine which food is healthy, but it is also largely socially difficult.
This is a nudge: a simple intervention with effective results that does not remove any options or meaningfully change incentives. Changing defaults can shape decisions at a large scale, while still keeping freedom of choice.
This may be the reason for the 58.3% increase in plant-based meal selection when implementing a vegan default (Ginn & Sparkman, 2024).
It might also explain why vegan defaults have been shown to have a 90% approval rate among participants after they learn that they have taken place (Hansen, 2019)!
If you are a student, we warmly encourage you to implement vegan defaults at your university by joining a community group centered around Better Food Foundation's Default Veg course. Interested? See our slides about the upcoming Default Veg internship by Better Food Foundation below!
