Abstract
Paternalistic nudging and framing aim to correct flaws in deliberation by relying on the same cognitive mechanisms that create those flaws. Regarding some choices as flawed and in need of correction requires some standard of correctness. In their well-known book, Nudge, Thaler and Sunstein take the individual's own "purified"preferences to be that standard, which is inconsistent with the finding of behavioral economics that individuals do not have a stable preference ranking of alternatives, but instead construct their preferences when faced with a choice. This essay defends an alternative, readily usable standard to judge whether individuals are choosing badly and whether nudges can help them to choose better.
| Original language | American English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 4-15 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Behavioural Public Policy |
| Volume | 9 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 1 2025 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Social Psychology
- Sociology and Political Science
- Social Sciences (miscellaneous)
- Applied Psychology
- Political Science and International Relations
Keywords
- framing
- nudging
- paternalism
- preferences
- well-being