Inspiring healthy choices: Using social comparisons and self-comparisons to nudge socially responsible decision making online

Thesis

Online behaviour today is undoubtedly shaped by choice recommendations presented to people in nearly all aspects of online life, from consuming media to online shopping to managing finances. As everyday life and online life becoming increasingly intertwined, the purposeful design of digital choice architectures becomes even more critical. We have a responsibility to design information environments that help people make better and more informed choices, both for themselves and society more broadly. My doctoral thesis investigates how social comparisons and self-comparisons can nudge healthier choices in online grocery shopping contexts, recognizing the growing popularity of online grocery shopping and the global obesity epidemic we face today. I introduce a novel form of social comparison—the out-group social comparison—and demonstrate that it can inspire calorie reduction, particularly amongst those who are typically resistant to dieting. I then replicate the observed out-group social comparison effect under minimalist conditions while increasing the geographic sample and overall sample size in a follow-up study. I introduce the concept of Challenge Teams to allow individuals to opt-in to social comparisons and observe a high 78% organic opt-in rate. Finally, I explore if self-comparisons may serve as a viable alternative to nudge healthier food choices amongst those who do not wish to engage in social comparisons with promising results.

Authors: Di Cosola III, BM

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-kz0pvd98w
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: online shopping; social comparisons; food; social influence; nudging; nutrition; digital choice; calorie reduction
• Subjects: Consumer behavior