‘Nudging' can influence you to do better but it can also backfire

Tired of the constant problem of urine on toilet floors, Aad Kieboom from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol decided in the early 90s to place a small photorealistic house fly near the urinal drain to give people something to aim at. It reduced urinal spillage by an astonishing 80 percent and resulted in an 8 percent reduction in bathroom cleaning costs at the airport.

The fly is one of the most famous examples of a ‘nudge’. And while the majority of research in this area focuses on the positive impact on behavioural change, less research has looked at unintended or ineffective nudges. Some may even backfire, triggering the opposite target behaviour.