Effects of personality and gender on nudgeability for mental health-related behaviors

Curr Opin Psychol. 2024 Dec:60:101938. doi: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2024.101938. Epub 2024 Nov 1.

Abstract

Nudges are a cost-effective and scalable tool used to promote certain choices and have been applied across several domains, such as public health and policy and, more recently, mental health-related behaviors. The likelihood of individuals responding to a nudge ("nudgeability") is affected by individual traits such as personality and gender. This review synthesizes the effects of personality traits and gender on decision-making and nudgeability. We provide future directions, which consider these effects when evaluating mental health-related nudging. The specific type of nudge and the behavior being nudged may be more important to consider when designing nudges, rather than general trends in how certain personality traits or genders respond to nudges.

Keywords: Behavioral economics; Cognitive biases and heuristics; Gender; Mental health; Nudgeability; Nudges; Personality.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Choice Behavior
  • Decision Making
  • Female
  • Health Behavior
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mental Health
  • Personality*
  • Sex Factors