Defaults

Defaults are pre-selected choices or options that usually put someone on a path to a specific outcome. Humans tend to follow whatever the default is, and not actively switch to a new option.

Applications

• Consider automatic enrollment into a set of steps or a plan, with the option to opt-out.

• Consider ‘presumptive language’ in place of a default. An example is, “Your child just turned 11. Because they’re 11, they are due for the HPV and meningitis vaccines. We’ll do those today.”

Considerations

It’s important to realize that defaults don’t increase agency since the person doesn’t actively make a choice or select something. They are a way to steer behavior. As with all nudges and program design, the ethics of choices should be discussed with the community.