It’s 8:00PM and you finally are sitting down to eat dinner. You had to work late and didn’t have any food at home, so pizza delivery will have to suffice. The past week was a blur and filled with meetings, appointments, and practices. You made a goal this week to exercise at least 3 times, but it’s already Thursday and you haven’t managed to get in even one exercise session. You start to feel guilty and think, “I wish I made better, healthier choices. It’s just so hard and overwhelming!”

If that sounds like you, know that you aren’t the only one who feels this way. Making healthier choices regarding nutrition, exercise, and other healthy habits doesn’t always come naturally, especially in the fast paced world we live in. Although it doesn’t seem like it, making better choices and creating healthier habits is possible! Choice architecture, a psychological concept, can help groups and individuals make better choices in a variety of settings.

What is choice architecture?

Choice architecture is a term used to describe how various choices are presented to people and how the design of those choices impacts decision making. The choice architect is the person designing the presentation of choices, usually with the intent of swaying the decision maker in a certain direction. A nudge (sometimes called an intervention) is a variable put in place by the architect that helps sway the decision. Choice architecture was originally used to describe retail and consumer situations. For example, a grocer may run a sale marking frozen pizza as “2 for $10” when it is usually $5.25 for one. The sign may be large, placed at eye level, and use bright colors or noticeable fonts. The consumer is only saving 50¢ and might not need two frozen pizzas, but they may be more likely to buy two and spend more money if they think they are getting a good deal and seeing a flashy sale sign. In this case, the grocer is the architect and the nudge was the memorable sale sign. 

Choice architecture has been expanded into other domains, including health and wellness. There are a myriad of choices you make in a day that impact your health- taking the stairs vs the elevator, getting fast food for lunch vs bringing a meal from home, staying up late to watch Netflix vs reading and going to bed at a reasonable hour, and the list can go on! 

How does this relate to my mental health?

You can act as the choice architect in your life by designing small nudges that make it easier and more accessible for you to make healthier choices. If opting for healthier snacks is a struggle, you can leave fresh fruit on the counter in the kitchen, keep nuts and seeds in your desk at work, or meal prep on the weekends. These visual and/or accessible reminders act as nudges, making it easier for you to make the healthy choice. The concept of choice architecture doesn’t just apply to food and nutrition. If your goal is to exercise more, keep gym clothes in your car, block off time in your calendar, or create a designated workout area in your home. If your goal is to meditate , download meditation apps and keep them on your home screen or set reminders on your calendar or phone.There are a variety of different types of nudges you can use, depending on the situation and your behavior tendencies. 

Prompting nudges involve the use of the physical or informational environments. Examples of prompting nudges include using signs, hanging posters, placing items in plain sight or in convenient spaces, and setting alarms/ reminders. An analysis that examined the use of choice architecture principles on exercise behaviors found that 74% of prompting nudges had a positive effect on the target behavior, 16% had a mixed effect, and only 14% were ineffective.

Message framing involves talking about a desired behavior in a positive way instead of a neutral or negative way. An example would be to say, “I get to work out today because my body is healthy, strong, and capable” instead of, “Ugh, I have to workout today even though I hate it”. When it comes to messaging nudges, gain-framed messages are more effective than loss-framed messages. Gain framed messages emphasize benefits of the behavior (“If I have almonds and an apple for a snack, I will feel energized and content for my afternoon meetings”), while loss- framed messages emphasize the consequences of not completing the target behavior (“If I have a donut instead of almonds and an apple for a snack, I will feel tired and disengaged in my afternoon meetings”). 

Social influence involves the use of descriptive social norms, social comparison and competition, and behavior modeling. Examples of social influence would be group exercise classes, wellness challenges at work, and sharing activity data on wearable devices such as FitBits or Apple Watches. Competition and comparison have been shown to be the most effective type of social influence nudge, but behavior modeling and descriptive social norms can be at least 65% effective.

Other small nudges shown to increase behaviors include feedback, default changes, and anchoring. Feedback has been shown to be effective when it conveys performance on exercise or time spent in sedentary behaviors. Default changes automatically assumes the new, target behavior as the norm ( such as keeping rising desks in the stand position instead of the sit position) and have been shown to increase intentions for the new behavior in pre and post intervention measures. Anchoring is a type of goal that sets a minimum baseline for the target behavior. High anchors (such as 3 different vegetables per day) change behaviors more effectively than low anchors (such as 1 vegetable per day). Keep in mind that the high anchor still must be realistic and attainable for this nudge to work.

 Just as every person is unique, their approaches to behavior change must be unique as well. Before implementing a nudge, get clear on what your goal is using SMART goal setting. Your goal should be specific (what exactly are you trying to do?), measurable (how will you know when you have achieved it?), attainable (is this realistic for you?), relevant (how does this fit into your values and desires?), and time-bound (when do you want to achieve this goal?). Once you know what your target behavior is, start to brainstorm nudges that you think may work for you. It may take multiple nudges of various types to narrow down which ones are effective. Be sure to track your progress and take notes on what does and doesn’t work. 

Behavior change model

The behavior change model, also known as the transtheoretical model of behavior change, views behavior change as a semi-linear process that occurs over a gradual period of time. This model has 5 stages:

1. Pre-contemplation: The individual has no intent or desire to change behaviors. 

2. Contemplation: The individual is thinking about making a behavior change, but has not yet taken any steps. 

3. Preparation: The individual has decided they will make a change and are taking steps to prepare for the new behavior. 

4. Action: The individual has started incorporating the new behavior into their life, but it has been less than 6 months.

5.  Maintenance: The individual has been incorporating the new, target behavior into their routine for 6+ months. 
   Knowing what stage you are in can help you to set goals and behaviors that will move you into the next stage. For example, if you are in the contemplation stage, you can explore the various options (Home workout videos, group training, or personal trainer? Meal prep services or nutritionist?) and weigh the pros and cons. If you are in the action stage, you might need to establish support systems to help you maintain the new behavior or create back-up plans if something doesn’t go as expected. Read more about behavior change theory here. 

If you feel as though you need more guidance on goal setting and behavior change, Modyfi professionals are here to help. Our licensed therapists, psychiatrists, and other health and fitness professionals work with clients to set and achieve sustainable wellness goals and behaviors that last. Schedule your first appointment today. 

References: 

Landais, L. L., Damman, O. C., Schoonmade, L. J., Timmermans, D. R., Verhagen, E. A., & Jelsma, J. G. (2020). Choice architecture interventions to change physical activity and sedentary behavior: A systematic review of effects on intention, behavior and health outcomes during and after intervention. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-020-00942-7