Defaults Are Not Behavior Change
Thesis: Defaults are configuration. They create one‑time adherence, not recurring behavior. Treat them as setup conveniences once you have selected a behavior with strong fit.
What defaults can do
- Reduce setup friction for a known preference.
- Express a recommended option transparently.
- Help novices start without complex decisions.
What defaults cannot do
- Create ongoing action in the face of low fit.
- Substitute for Behavior Matching, Ranking, and Innovation.
- Overcome misaligned motivation or context.
Reality check: Organ donation defaults
Opt‑out vs. opt‑in regimes do not reliably increase transplantation. High‑performing countries (e.g., Spain) succeed via coordinator networks, training, and process integration; not the checkbox alone. Defaults are governance choices, not proof of behavior change.
See Evidence:
and Why Nudges Fail.
Better alternatives
- Behavior Matching and Ranking to pick a behavior that users want to repeat.
- Context Redesign to make the desired action easy at the moment of choice.
- Implementation Intentions to execute at the right cue.
Design rules if you still use them
- Explain why a default is recommended.
- Make the change path simple and reversible.
- Avoid harmful or privacy‑hostile defaults.
Measurement
- Initial acceptance and 30/90‑day retention of the setting.
- Downstream action that proves the setting matters.
Related plays
Behavior Matching ·
Context Redesign ·
Implementation Intentions