Phishing is a reoccurring issue, which uses social engineering as an attack strategy. The prevention of these attacks is often content-based filters. These solutions are however not always perfect, and phishing emails can still be able to get through the filters. We suggest a new strategy to combat phishing. The strategy is a technical platform which uses the psychology concept nudge. Nudge is a concept that can be used to change a certain behaviour, in this case to make people more cautious when reading their emails.The objective of this thesis is to suggest a nudge using a technical platform regarding possible desensitization. The nudge aims to change email related behaviours to more healthy ones. To get indications if the nudge has benefits, a qualitative survey was made. When using a psychology-based solution, one must address the possibility of desensitization. To minimize possible desensitization, a quantitative analysis was made where different ways to minimize desensitization were assessed. Data for this analysis was gathered by a simulation modeling, where the simulation aimed to replicate a user performing email related events.The conclusion of the simulation results showed that a whitelist approach was the most appropriate for our nudge. The approach minimized the chance of possible desensitization while having a low risk of not performing a nudge when needed. The conclusion of the survey results was that there was an indication of behavioural change and that there existed a risk of possible desensitization. / Nätfiske är ett återkommande problem, som använder sig av social manipulation som attackstrategi. Försvar mot dessa attacker är ofta innehållsbaserade filter. Dessa lösningar är inte alltid perfekta, då nätfiske kan ibland gå förbi filterna. Vi föreslår en ny strategi för att bekämpa nätfiske. Strategin är en teknisk plattform som använder det psykologiska konceptet nudge. Nudge är ett koncept som kan användas för att ändra ett visst beteende, i detta fall för att göra människor mer försiktiga när de läser sina emails.Syftet med detta arbete är att föreslå en nudge i en teknisk plattform där man tar hänsyn till eventuell desensibilisering. Nudgens mål är att ändra emailrelaterade beteenden så att beteendena blir säkrare. En kvalitativ undersökning gjordes för att få indikationer om nudgen har möjliga fördelar. När man använder en psykologibaserad lösning så måste man ta itu med möjligheten av desensibilisering. En kvantitativ analys gjordes där olika sätt att minimera desensibilisering bedömdes, för att sedan kunna minimera desensibiliseringen. Data för denna analys samlades in genom en simuleringsmodellering, där simuleringens syfte var att replikera en användare som utför email-relaterade händelser.Slutsatsen av simuleringsresultaten visade att en whitelist-metod var den mest lämpliga för vår nudge. Metoden minimerade risken för möjlig desensibilisering, samtidigt som den hade en låg risk att inte utföra en nudge när det behövdes. Slutsatsen av undersökningsresultatet från enkäten var att det fanns en indikation för beteendeförändringar och att det fanns en risk för eventuell desensibilisering av nudgen.

[pt] O escopo da presente dissertação é demonstrar como os conceitos de arquitetura de escolhas e nudge, pensados sob a ótica do paternalismo libertário, podem ser compatibilizados com o direito civil-constitucional e utilizados como instrumento de promoção do bem-estar em diversos aspectos da vida. Para tanto, serão fixadas as premissas sobre tomada de decisão utilizadas como base do paternalismo libertário. Como lastro teórico, serão apresentadas as principais conclusões dos estudos de Daniel Kahneman e Amos Tversky sobre racionalidade limitada para comprovar que as pessoas não são tão racionais quanto imaginam ser e cometem erros de julgamento previsíveis e sistemáticos. Neste ponto, as principais heurísticas e vieses cognitivos serão trabalhados com o escopo de se provar o conceito de racionalidade limitada. Fixadas as premissas, será apresentado o conceito de Paternalismo Libertário, arquitetura de escolhas e nudge de Richard Thaler e Cass Sunstein. Serão discutidos os filtros de legitimidade para as intervenções na arquitetura de escolhas desenvolvidos por Cass R. Sunstein e Lucia A. Reisch e se buscará compatibilizar tais filtros com a realidade civil-constitucional. Por fim, se buscará demonstrar que o legislador brasileiro, ainda que sem o recente arcabouço teórico das ciências cognitivas, concilia os conceitos de racionalidade limitada e arquitetura de escolhas e se utiliza de diversos instrumentos que poderiam ser entendidos dentro do contexto Paternalista Libertário. / [en] The scope of this dissertation is to demonstrate how the concepts of choice architecture and nudge, seen through the lens of libertarian paternalism, can be compatible with civil-constitutional law and used as an instrument for the promotion of well-being in various aspects of life. For this purpose, assumptions about decision-making shall be fixed as a base for libertarian paternalism. First, as a theoretical foundation, we discuss the findings of studies by Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky about bounded rationality to prove that people are not entirely as rational as they might think and make predictable and systematic errors of judgment. At that point, we will work on the heuristic principles and cognitive biases to prove the concept of bounded rationality. Then, with these assumptions fixed, we shall present Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein s concept of Libertarian Paternalism, choice architecture, and nudge. Next, the filters of legitimacy surrounding interventions in the choice architecture shall be discussed, focusing on those developed by Cass R. Sunstein and Lucia A. Reisch, aiming to bring such filters in line with the civil-constitutional reality. Finally, this thesis will demonstrate that the Brazilian legislator, even without the current theoretical framework of cognitive sciences, reconciles the concepts of bounded rationality and choice architecture and uses various instruments which could understand within the Paternalist Libertarian context.

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The share of organic sales in grocery stores has decreased and in 2021 the share decreased by 0.5 percent from the year before, where total sales amounted to 6.3 percent. In recent years, nudge theory has become more topical, especially in the subject of ecological- and environmental economics. However, research has not focused as much on the ethical perspective and how nudging has been applied to the real environment which the researchers for this study considered worth studying closer. Nudge theory is used as a policy tool that should subconsciously influence or guide customers to make decisions that will benefit them in the long run, without depriving them of the freedom to make their own choices or limit the number of options. Nudges can also be shaped in an unethical way by consciously using nudge theory to negative consequences. The purpose of this study was to examine the types of nudges used in grocery stores to increase the purchase of organic products. This study also examines what the employees in each grocery store considers about their own design of nudges and determines which nudges promote better behavior or manipulation based on an assessed ethical perspective.  Based on theories and previous research, the categories environment, price, and supply have been designed to observe green nudges within each store. The categories were later used to compile observations on inventory. An interview guide has also been conducted to examine the employees' views from an ethical assessed perspective. Results indicated that there are multiple nudges in the shape of placement, information, measures, reminder of choice, maximization of supplies based on what fits in the cartons and refrigerator, not an equal distribution between ecological and conventional products, price in combination with campaigns and that the number of supplies is controlled by what sells the best. Lastly in conclusion both study questions were answered with what types of nudges and that ethics depends on the purpose of the nudge. Further, some nudges were not seen as wrongdoing based on employees and the company's values but are wrong according to nudge theory. Regardless, ecological behavior is promoted on most designated nudges and is confirmed by employees in each store. / Andelen ekologisk försäljning i matbutiker har minskat och under år 2021 minskade andelen med 0,5 procent från året innan där den totala försäljningen uppgick till 6,3 procent. Under de senaste åren har nudge theory blivit mer aktuellt inom ekologisk- och miljöekonomi. Däremot har forskningen inte fokuserat lika mycket på etiska perspektivet och hur nudging har applicerats på den verkliga miljön, vilket denna studie studerar närmare. Nudge theory används som ett policyverktyg som ska påverka eller styra kunder undermedvetet till att fatta beslut som ska gynna dessa kunder på lång sikt, utan att ta ifrån dem friheten att göra egna val eller begränsa antalet alternativ. Nudges kan däremot formas på ett oetiskt sätt genom att medvetet använda sig av nudge theory till negativa konsekvenser. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka vilka typer av nudges som används för att öka köp av ekologiska produkter. Studien undersöker även vad anställda i varje matbutik anser om deras egen utformning av nudges och avgöra vilka nudges som främjar ett bättre beteende eller manipulerar utifrån ett bedömt etiskt perspektiv.  Utifrån teorierna och tidigare forskning har kategorierna miljö, pris och antal utformats för att observera gröna nudges inom avdelningarna frukt och grönt samt mejeri, i respektive butik. Kategorierna användes senare för att sammanställa observationer av inventering. En intervjuguide har även genomförts för att granska de anställdas synpunkter utifrån ett etiskt bedömt perspektiv. Resultat visade på att det finns flera nudges i form av placering, informering, åtgärder, påminnelse av val, maximering av utbud utifrån vad som får plats i kartong och kyl, inte en jämn fördelning av ekologiska och konventionella varor, pris i kombination med kampanjer samt att antalet drivs av vad som säljs bäst. Avslutningsvis kunde båda frågeställningarna besvaras med vilka typer av nudges som återfanns i den fysiska miljön och att etiken beror framför allt på syftet på nudgen. Ytterligare i resultat och analys förs en diskussion att vissa nudges inte anses vara fel utifrån anställdas egna samt butikens värderingar, men anses vara det enligt nudge theory. Oavsett främjas ekologiskt beteende på majoriteten av utpekade nudges och bekräftas av anställda i vardera butik.

Tourism is an important force for sustainable development in many countries. It provides millions of jobs which, for some countries, entails an increased gross domestic product (GDP). Unfortunately, there are downsides of tourism as well, and work towards sustainable tourism is now a key feature of many travel organizations. To influence consumers into more sustainable behavior, organizations can use nudging as a tool. A nudge uses a specific psychological effect to guide individuals towards a predefined choice. Since many travel companies provide their products through digital environments, such as websites or apps, knowledge of digital nudging is mandatory. The aim of this study was to investigate how digital nudging could be used to encourage more sustainable decisions on a travel company website. How the digital nudges should be designed, and how digital nudging would be perceived by consumers were investigated. The use of existing guidelines for how to design digital nudges resulted in prototypes of a travel company's website including several digital nudges. The guidelines included four steps: define the goal, understand the users, design the nudge and test the nudge. The result showed several digital nudges that after some design improvements have the potential to influence consumers to make more sustainable decisions on a travel company's website. The result also showed that the majority of the consumers had a positive attitude towards digital nudging in this context, although this needs to be further evaluated. Further research is also recommended to assess which nudge that works best for a given choice situation.

This thesis makes a contribution to that part of the economics literature that explores how behavioural economics can inform environmental economics. Theoretically, the thesis develops the concept of environmental morale. Empirically, the study investigates the role of environmental morale on individuals’ behaviour within two different contexts: recycling participation and intertemporal choices over different goods (i.e., money, environment, and health) and outcomes (i.e., gains and losses). Major objectives of this analysis are: to shed light on how environmental morale interplays with individuals’ behaviour under different recycling policy schemes, and to examine whether temporal discounting is domain specific and depends on environmental morale heterogeneity. Original survey investigations are employed to analyse these issues. Results highlight the relevance of environmental morale both in motivating individuals’ contribution to recycling and intertemporal choices towards environmental outcomes. Regarding the interaction between environmental morale, recycling participation and government interventions, results from this analysis suggest that a facilitating nudge policy seems to be relatively more powerful in increasing individuals’ contribution and motivation towards recycling. Considering intertemporal choices, a paradox of hyperopia seems to be located in data provided in this analysis. Some of the original contributions of the thesis are, first the broader reconceptualization of the definition of environmental morale and its operationalization in analyses of questionnaire preferences. Secondly, in line with other areas of research (i.e., tax compliance literature); this study pursues an investigation of individual and cultural differences with respect to recycling policies, an area which has been neglected in the environmental economics literature. In this regard, the analysis considers a comparison between psychology and economics students in Italy and the UK. Thirdly, conditioning discounting on environmental morale offers a unique opportunity to analyse how ethical considerations influence the way individuals form expectations on (near and far distant) future environmental outcomes.

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) has had significant influence on both for-profit and nonprofit employers since it was enacted in 1993. Because nonprofit organizations often have more limited resources than for-profit organizations, implementing family and medical leave policy mandates can be problematic. Arts-related nonprofit organizations often have even fewer resources available yet must still ensure legal compliance and market competitiveness while continuing to focus on meeting their missions. Even if a smaller nonprofit organization is not subject to the FMLA, it is subject to other federal, state, and local employment laws, and the organization must decide whether to offer unpaid or paid family and medical leave, perhaps styled after the FMLA. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how those who conduct human resource functions in nonprofit arts organizations would perceive governmental prompting toward providing FMLA and paid leave in relation to their ability to meet their missions. This question was explored through the lens of nudge theory and involved interviews with nine HR professionals from nonprofit arts organizations. Data were analyzed using Bazeley and Jackson's bucket coding and Yin's explanation building processes. The results of the study indicated that HR professionals perceived little to no effects of the FMLA on their nonprofit arts organizations' ability to meet their missions. The social change implications of this study involve providing insights to policymakers that could inform decisions about family and medical leave mandates or nudges toward a desired outcome regarding these leaves of absence in the nonprofit sector.

This thesis attempts to answer the research question: What are the causal mechanisms for behaviour change undergirding choice architecture (CA) interventions in alcohol use? This thesis is organised along two dimensions: conceptual and empirical. At the conceptual level, this project discusses the application of CA to public policy; the lack of consensus regarding the theory of change underpinning the relationship between CA intervention stimuli and modified behaviour; and the need for clearer understandings of the CA intervention components in relation to other behavioural interventions. At the empirical level, this project systematically reviews available CA interventions intended to reduce alcohol consumption in public drink settings and suggests new alcohol-related CA intervention strategies.

Incorrect waste disposal has devastating consequences for the environment. Recycling is an environmentally friendlier way to dispose of waste, and recycling opportunities are turning up in more and more public spaces. However, at any given recycling station, lots of recyclables are not recycled. This study posed the question: “Can simple ‘nudges’ be used to increase the proportion of correctly disposed of recyclables at public recycling stations?” And through field experiments at Uppsala University this study has shown that there is a significant potential for nudges when it comes to recycling behavior in common spaces. Various signs were designed and attached to recycling stations spread out over six different campuses. Statistically significant changes were observed and the generalizability of these findings is expected to be wide, as the interventions are operating on a cognitive level.

Chronic diseases, including obesity are a global epidemic with significant long term mental and physical health complications, as well as societal costs from loss of productivity and health care expenditures. The causes of chronic disease and obesity are multifaceted and are linked to the complexity of eating behaviour, which develops over many years and is a product of our food environment as well as our social influences. First-year undergraduate students living in residence and on meal plans have lower vegetable intake than is recommended for optimal health and disease and obesity prevention. They also gain on average 2-3 kg in their first year due to factors like stress, increased autonomy in food choices and the food environment they face. With more than 2 million Canadian young adults attending post-secondary institutions and the importance of diet to overall health and wellness, building healthy eating habits and preventing weight gain during this life transition is an important public health priority. Nudges or choice architecture interventions aim to encourage public health goals without removing choice for participants. Nudging seems to have a stronger effect in deterring the choice of unhealthy foods over motivating the choice of healthy foods. Conversely, pricing strategies where healthy foods are subsidized appear effective. Many intervention studies have been conducted in cafeterias with young adults but there was a need for studies that compared the impact of nudge interventions against economic strategies on the purchase of vegetables. This study occurred in the main cafeteria serving undergraduate students on meal plans at the University of Victoria (n=1700). A longitudinal, quasi-experimental, single case ABACA research design was conducted and salad bar sales data was tracked. After a baseline period (A), an economic incentive was provided in the form of a loyalty card (B), this was then withdrawn for a second baseline period (A), followed by a cognitive and affect nudge implemented in the form of tent cards and sandwich boards with reasons to eat more vegetables conveyed with eye-catching, colourful graphics and messaging (C) and finally a third baseline measure (A) after withdrawal of the cognitive nudge. The results showed that small economic incentives and nudges were not enough to have an impact on salad bar sales and that they declined throughout the term with too much overlapping data to establish an intervention effect. Larger economic incentives, behaviour or placement nudges and a focus on deterring unhealthy foods may have had an effect but these intervention options were not deemed feasible by food service management in this context. It may also be that there need to be more extensive changes to an individual’s microsystem and that these need to be supported by other changes in the microsystem and further changes at the level of the meso, macrosystem or exosystem through university-level intervention in food service operations or government policy or regulation. / Graduate / 2021-12-10