Design a behavioral economics response to one of the two problems outlined below. You can choose either option 1 (obesity) or option 2 (energy conversation)
Depth, breadth and multiplexity of the analysis and its stakeholders, will determine the quality of the journal.
Word count: 2000 words
Option 1
A recent report released by the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation used population trends and other data to predict that half of U.S. adults will be obese by 2030 unless Americans change their ways. It is estimated that 35.7% of adults and 16.9% of children aged 2 to 19 are obese, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported earlier this year. The CDC predicts that these numbers are going to increase and exceed 60 percent in the next few years. Obesity raises the risk of numerous diseases, from type-2 diabetes to endometrial cancer. This will impose a greater burden on healthcare systems and associated costs. These projections supports a study published earlier this year in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine that found that by 2030, 42% of U.S. adults could be obese, adding $550 billion to healthcare costs over that period.
Trust for America’s Health sees an opportunity to change the growth in obese population with the right interventions. “We have learned that with a concerted effort you can change the culture of a community, including its level of physical activity, eating habits, what foods are offered in schools, and whether families eat together,” said Geoffrey Levi of George Washington University. In New York City, for instance, obesity for elementary and middle-school students dropped 5.5 percent from the 2006-07 school year to 2010-11, thanks mostly to healthier school lunches, public health experts said.
Source:
Your task
Suppose you are appointed as a consultant to develop proposals for encouraging individuals or groups to make healthier choices.
Propose a specific intervention to encourage healthy behaviors which may lower the increasing obesity rate. You could choose to focus on the U.S., or even suggest a nudge in your home country. Please specify the target group and the behavior you want to change. For example, you can focus on reducing obesity among adolescent boys or old women. Likewise, you may reduce the obesity by increasing the level of physical activity or by consuming more vegetables and less saturated fat. Think about the decision process relevant to the target behavior and the factors might cause the problem and promote the desired behavioral change. Describe what behavioral principle you are using and how your solution intervenes the decision making process in a way to induce the desired behavior. Next, please design and describe an experiment which will be helpful in testing the effectiveness of your intervention. Max 2.000 words.
Source: Prof. Dilip Soman, University of Toronto Rotman.
Option 2
Recent global news reports indicate that electricity consumption continues to rise significantly, placing considerable stress on energy production facilities and power grids worldwide. Increased demand driven by urbanization, digitalization, and climate change-related extremes such as heatwaves has resulted in frequent strain and even failures of power infrastructure.
Major cities globally have identified universities, commercial office towers, and data centers as particularly high consumers of electricity. For instance, recent studies highlight substantial electricity consumption by universities, corporate headquarters, and large-scale digital infrastructure in cities across Europe, Asia, and North America. In response to these challenges, municipal and national governments are initiating strategic measures. Many urban areas are now collaborating closely with universities and large commercial entities to implement rigorous energy conservation programs and retrofit buildings for higher energy efficiency.
Despite these efforts, historical lessons appear difficult to internalize. For example, two decades after the massive 2003 North American power outage, triggered largely by excessive electricity demand, consumer habits have not significantly shifted towards sustained energy conservation. Experts consistently highlight that catastrophic events, which ideally should catalyze consumer awareness and behavior change, have limited long-term impacts on energy consumption patterns.
Furthermore, despite clear economic benefits, the uptake of energy-efficient appliances remains modest globally. Consumers often continue to use energy-intensive equipment and demonstrate persistent behavioral habits such as leaving air conditioning, lighting, and electronic devices on when premises are unoccupied. This persistent gap between awareness and action highlights ongoing challenges in global energy management and underscores the need for more effective consumer education and incentive programs to drive sustainable electricity usage practices.
Source:
Your task
Suppose you are appointed as a consultant to develop proposals for helping any city or town in your country to conserve energy. In particular, provide suggestions how can we get households or offices to better regulate and curb consumption of electricity.
Propose a specific intervention to encourage behaviors which may reduce excessive electricity use. Please specify the target behavior you want to change. For example, you can focus on reducing unneeded electricity use in vacant rooms or encouraging environment-friendly transportation methods. Think about the decision process relevant to the target behavior and the factors might cause the problem and promote the desired behavioral change. Describe what behavioral principle you are using and how your solution intervenes the decision making process in a way to induce the desired behavior. Next, please design and describe an experiment which will be helpful in testing the effectiveness of your intervention. Max 2.000 words.
Source: Prof. Dilip Soman, University of Toronto Rotman.
Referencing and Citation:
As part of your academic responsibilities, all submitted work must adhere to the APA 7th edition guidelines for proper referencing. Please refer to to verify citation and formatting rules before submitting your assignments.
Additionally, make sure to utilize the Coach to review your papers before submission (not after). Instructions for this can be found on the Program Immersion Course page.
