Nudgeability and beyond: Affording people with opportunities to make the right choice

Recently, we introduced the term ‘nudgeability’ to assess when people would be susceptible to the influence of a nudge. We found that nudge effects do not hinge on transparency or modes of thinking, but that personal preferences moderate effects such that people cannot be nudged into something they do not want. Here, we take the next step in understanding when and why people are responsive to nudges by examining perception-action theory as a theoretical framework for nudge design, drawing on the notion that people can rationally and autonomously consider their options when opportunities for action present themselves on the spot. This alternative take on nudges may give new directions for nudge implementation in public policy.