Present BiasOpen Access

Present Bias

What we want now is often the opposite of what we aspire to in the future

When we decide what to buy or how to spend our time, we make short-term decisions that prevent us from becoming who we desire to be.

Van Epps et al., (2016). Advance Ordering for Healthier Eating? Field Experiments on the Relationship Between the Meal Order–Consumption Time Delay and Meal Content. Journal of Marketing Research.

The study

Setup

Setup

195 students were asked to fill out a lunch order survey in return for a free lunch. They were split into two groups and  asked either a few hours prior to or just before lunchtime.

What’s a Rich Text element?

The rich text element allows you to create and format headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, images, and video all in one place instead of having to add and format them individually. Just double-click and easily create content.

Static and dynamic content editing

A rich text element can be used with static or dynamic content. For static content, just drop it into any page and begin editing. For dynamic content, add a rich text field to any collection and then connect a rich text element to that field in the settings panel. Voila!

How to customize formatting for each rich text

Headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, figures, images, and figure captions can all be styled after a class is added to the rich text element using the "When inside of" nested selector system.

Results

Results

Those asked with the delay made food choices 11% lower in calories than those just before lunch.

Study graph
np_read_2490885_000000

Van Epps et al., (2016). Advance Ordering for Healthier Eating? Field Experiments on the Relationship Between the Meal Order–Consumption Time Delay and Meal Content. Journal of Marketing Research.

Key Takeaways

1
1

Adapt with time-to-delivery.

Online grocers could change what’s shown to the user based on how many days out their delivery slot is, showing more aspirational goods in the week prior and impulsive goods the day before. 

Takeaway image
2
2

Build around customers’ goals.

Have them make a preference on your site for their future self i.e. that they want to lose weight or save more money this year. Then, have this preference dictate what products are shown to them online, along with a subtle reminder that you’re helping with their bigger goals.

Takeaway image
3
3

Encourage “future lock-ins.”

Banks could improve consumer savings by allowing pre-registration for a future savings account. Consider locking in other types of ‘should’ decisions that will benefit the consumer’s future well-being, as well as reducing your costs through better demand forecasting.

Takeaway image
4
4
Takeaway image
Takeaway image
np_read_2490885_000000
np_read_2490885_000000

In further detail

Takeaway image
Present Bias

Present Bias

What we want now is often the opposite of what we aspire to in the future

When we decide what to buy or how to spend our time, we make short-term decisions that prevent us from becoming who we desire to be.

The study

Setup

195 students were asked to fill out a lunch order survey in return for a free lunch. They were split into two groups and  asked either a few hours prior to or just before lunchtime.

Results

Those asked with the delay made food choices 11% lower in calories than those just before lunch.

study graph
np_read_2490885_000000

In detail

Hungry for more?

Savour all the features...

All Nuggets

Academic data

Key takeaways

Pairings

Cheat Sheets

Collect Nuggets

Nuggets In The Wild

Coglode Live monthly

Nuggets In The Wild

Related "Wilds"

Avoiding Danger

Wait, and you shall be rewarded

Money and short-term thinking are a match made in hell, leading to spontaneous decisions that can cause great harm. With their Vault, Coinbase have a solution to this problem, slowing down decision-making with a few extra steps...

Read more
Nugget In The Wild Illustration
Nuggets

Snack on these...

Open access, foundational Nuggets

Scarcity

Scarcity

We value things more when they’re in limited supply

Social Proof

Social Proof

We copy the behaviors of others, especially in unfamiliar situations

Prospect Theory

Prospect Theory

A loss hurts more than an equal gain feels good

Reciprocity

Reciprocity

We’re hardwired to return kindness received

Framing

Framing

We make very different decisions based on how a fact is presented

Loss Aversion

Loss Aversion

We feel more negative when losing something than positive when we gain it

Default Effect

Default Effect

We tend to accept the option pre-chosen for us

Anchoring

Anchoring

What we see first affects our judgement of everything thereafter

Fast & Slow Thinking

Fast & Slow Thinking

We make knee-jerk spontaneous decisions that can cause regretful damage

Dynamic Norms

Dynamic Norms

We’re more likely to change if we can see a new behavior developing

Salience

Salience

Our choices are determined by the information we're shown

Connected to

Hungry for more?

Savour the full features of Coglode Cookbook

All Nuggets, data & takeaways

Academic data

Key takeaways

Pairings

Cheat Sheets

Collect Nuggets

Nuggets In The Wild

Monthly Coglode Live calls

Upgrade
© 2013-23 Coglode

Running workshops?

Present Bias

is included in Box One of our physical workshop tool.
is included in Box Two of our physical workshop tool.
Nuggets Boxes

What's Cooking?

Coglode Live

Self-Expression Live video and deck now available
Self-Expression Live video and deck now available
This week
May 2023

Coglode Live

Self-Expression Live event announced
Self-Expression Live event announced
This week
Apr 2023

Coglode Live

Feedback Loops video and deck now available
Feedback Loops video and deck now available
This week
Apr 2023

Feature

Figma Behavioral Design System released
Figma Behavioral Design System released
This week
Apr 2023

Feature

Figma Behavioral Design System sneak-peek
Figma Behavioral Design System sneak-peek
This week
Apr 2023

Coglode Live

Feedback Loops Live event announced
Feedback Loops Live event announced
This week
Mar 2023

Coglode Live

Prospect Theory video and deck now available
Prospect Theory video and deck now available
This week
Mar 2023

New Nugget In The Wild

Reframing service fees as benefits
Reframing service fees as benefits
This week
Mar 2023

Feature

Cookbook for Teams announced
Cookbook for Teams announced
This week
Mar 2023

New Nugget In The Wild

Deliveroo's tipping system, behaviourally deconstructed
Deliveroo's tipping system, behaviourally deconstructed
This week
Feb 2023

Improvement

Nuggets In The Wild component redesigned and rebuilt
Nuggets In The Wild component redesigned and rebuilt
This week
Feb 2023

Feature

Completed core of forthcoming Nuggets Library for Figma
Completed core of forthcoming Nuggets Library for Figma
This week
Feb 2023

New Nugget In The Wild

Flora case study into overcoming stagnant social proof
Flora case study into overcoming stagnant social proof
This week
Feb 2023

Coglode Live

Open Access Prospect Theory Event added
Open Access Prospect Theory Event added
This week
Feb 2023

New Nugget In The Wild

Case study that reframes product waste into a playful second life for cats
Case study that reframes product waste into a playful second life for cats
This week
Feb 2023

Improvement

Improved persistent login pane
Improved persistent login pane
This week
Feb 2023

New Pairing

New combo of Nuggets that reinforce the 'best' choice centrally
New combo of Nuggets that reinforce the 'best' choice centrally
This week
Feb 2023