The Sludge Factor
You may have heard us talk about the use of a ‘nudge’ in behaviour change. This term, from the world of behaviour psychology and economics, is for an action that is small but can have an outsized impact.
But have you heard of a ‘sludge’? It’s a nudge, but when used to discourage behaviour (and not always for the best reasons).
A classic example can be seen in the return policy of some shops. A shop that accepts exchange/return of goods only between 10 am-5 pm on Mondays is banking on the probability that most working people will find it extremely inconvenient to do so.
Read about Sludges here, by the co-author of the book ‘Nudge’.