Towards a Unified Understanding of Digital Nudging by Addressing its Analog Roots

Authors

Tim-Benjamin Lembcke, University of GoettingenFollow
Nils Engelbrecht, University of GoettingenFollow
Alfred Benedikt Brendel, University of GoettingenFollow
Bernd Herrenkind, University of GoettingenFollow
Lutz M. Kolbe, University of GoettingenFollow

Abstract

Nudging has become a well-renowned concept in policy making throughout the previous decade. Based on insights from behavioral economics (BE) and psychology, nudges are defined as intentional and targeted interventions to modify the choice architecture and alter individuals’ behavior to a desired direction. As digital choice environments increasingly influence individuals’ lives, a discourse on digital nudging has begun within the information systems (IS) community. With a transdisciplinary bridge-building approach, we address the current state of digital nudging and argue that a more thorough foundation and definition of digital nudging can render itself useful for integrating the extensive research on choice architectures and nudging present in BE. In this article, we summarize, transfer and discuss the current state of digital nudging’s conceptualization in BE and IS. Furthermore, we propose an extended definition of digital nudging and introduce Blended Environments Framework as integrated views of analog and digital realms.

Recommended Citation

Lembcke, Tim-Benjamin; Engelbrecht, Nils; Brendel, Alfred Benedikt; Herrenkind, Bernd; and Kolbe, Lutz M., "Towards a Unified Understanding of Digital Nudging by Addressing its Analog Roots" (2019). PACIS 2019 Proceedings. 123.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/pacis2019/123