Comment on "Nudges and cultural variance"

Trevor Pinch

pp. 487-490

in: Mariarosaria Taddeo (ed), Trust in technology, Knowledge, Technology & Policy 23, 2010.

Abstract

In this brief commentary, I suggest Selinger and Whyte are essentially correct in their criticism of the Nudge approach advocated by Thaler and Sunstein. I use some examples from road behavior and traffic planning to amplify the criticism that the simple behavioral economics approach fails to take account of the embedding of humans and technology in the wider social and cultural context.