Default nudges in snacking: the role of effort reduction and cognitive capacity

With rising obesity rates, promoting healthier food choices becomes increasingly critical. This paper examines the effectiveness of default nudges - preselected options that apply if consumers make no active choice - in influencing snack choices. Through two field experiments, we test whether default effects operate through effort reduction by examining the moderating role of cognitive capacity. The results demonstrate that unhealthy defaults can significantly influence consumer choices, while healthy defaults seem to fail. Cognitive capacity does not moderate these effects. These findings contribute to the literature by questioning the robustness of healthy default nudges in a real-world snack choice context. We acknowledge limitations and suggest future research to deepen understanding of default nudges and their boundary conditions to advance public health.