Work

Appointments: A More Effective Commitment Device for Health Behaviors

Year: 2021

Type: preprint

Abstract: Health behaviors are plagued by self-control problems, and commitment devices are frequently proposed as a solution. We show that a simple alternative works even better: appointments. We randomly offer HIV testing appointments and financial commitment devices to high-risk men in Malawi. Appointments are much more effective than financial commitment devices, more than doubling testing rates. In contrast, most men who take up financial commitment devices lose their investments. Appointments address procrastination without the potential drawback of commitment failure, and also address limited memory problems. Appointments have the potential to increase demand for healthcare in the developing world.

DOI: 10.31235/osf.io/y8gh7

Authors: Laura Derksen, Jason Theodore Kerwin, Natalia Ordaz Reynoso, Olivier Sterck

Institutions: University of Minnesota, University of Toronto, University of Oxford, Bocconi University

Language: English

Topic: Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics

Subfield: General Decision Sciences

Field: Decision Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: University of Minnesota, University of Toronto, Minnesota Population Center, University of Minnesota

Award: G3878296197

OpenAlex ID: W3205995165

Cites: 105

Cited by: 3

Related to: 10