There have been studies on how to present choices in order to influence people. Or, how to structure your day so you make better choices. There’s an actual field of psychology dedicated to this- it’s called Nudge Psychology, Choice Architecture or Behavioral Economics.
Basically, we make alot of our decisions on autopilot, and being tired, hungry or having to make too many decisions depletes our willpower. This leaves us to get influenced by ads, product placements, store layouts, or how much longer it might be before lunch. We can combat this by understanding it, and building easier choices into our routines.
Suggestions on nudging yourself include:
Join groups- having people expect us motivates us to show up
Meal planning, so as to reduce the effort it takes to make a healthy choice.
Using smaller plates, so it looks like you have more food
Calendar blocking- placing study time on your calendar and setting a notification
Doing difficult tasks first thing in the morning.
Using apps to log food, excercise or screen time
So, for the discussion, here are some questions
– Can you think of examples of nudge psychology being used to influence your decisons in health, fitness, shopping, donation, or politics?
How can you use this field of psychology to influence yourself to make better decisions?
respond to this prompt ( 300- 350 words)
