Publication
The power of nudges : a comparative study of how different behavioral cues influence purchase intention
| Summary: | This dissertation studies the comparative effectiveness of five of the most commonly used nudges in advertising on consumer purchase intention; Social Proof, Scarcity, Framing, Emotional Appeal and Moral Norms. While prior research has researched individual nudges in isolation, few studies have compared their performance under similar and controlled conditions or explored demographic conditions as moderators. To address this gap, a quantitative experimental design was employed using an online survey with 129 participants. Each participant evaluated advertisements for two product types (functional and symbolic), each incorporating all of the different nudges. Data was analyzed using SPSS, employing reliability tests, repeated-measures ANOVA, post-hoc comparisons, and mixed-design ANOVA. Results reveal that nudge effectiveness varies significantly across contexts. Framing emerged as the most effective for functional products, while Emotional Appeal dominated for symbolic products. Scarcity consistently underperformed, challenging common marketing assumptions. On the other hand, Moral Norms demonstrated a stable, moderate effect across both product types. Social Proof showed context dependency, ranking higher for functional products. Age exhibited a small moderating effect for one product type, while gender had no significant influence. Findings contribute to behavioral economics and advertising literature by offering a comparative perspective on nudges and highlighting their context-dependent nature. Managerially, the study underscores the need for tailored strategies: benefit-oriented framing for functional goods and emotionally charged narratives for symbolic products. Limitations include hypothetical scenarios and a restricted product range, suggesting future research should explore real-world scenarios, greater samples, and long-term effects. |
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| Main Authors: | Marques, Daniel Hugo Vieira |
| Subject: | Nudges Behavioral economics Advertising Purchase intention Experimental design Economia comportamental Publicidade Intenção de compra Desenho experimental |
| Year: | 2026 |
| Country: | Portugal |
| Document type: | master thesis |
| Access type: | open access |
| Associated institution: | Universidade Católica Portuguesa |
| Language: | English |
| Origin: | Veritati - Repositório Institucional da Universidade Católica Portuguesa |
| Summary: | This dissertation studies the comparative effectiveness of five of the most commonly used nudges in advertising on consumer purchase intention; Social Proof, Scarcity, Framing, Emotional Appeal and Moral Norms. While prior research has researched individual nudges in isolation, few studies have compared their performance under similar and controlled conditions or explored demographic conditions as moderators. To address this gap, a quantitative experimental design was employed using an online survey with 129 participants. Each participant evaluated advertisements for two product types (functional and symbolic), each incorporating all of the different nudges. Data was analyzed using SPSS, employing reliability tests, repeated-measures ANOVA, post-hoc comparisons, and mixed-design ANOVA. Results reveal that nudge effectiveness varies significantly across contexts. Framing emerged as the most effective for functional products, while Emotional Appeal dominated for symbolic products. Scarcity consistently underperformed, challenging common marketing assumptions. On the other hand, Moral Norms demonstrated a stable, moderate effect across both product types. Social Proof showed context dependency, ranking higher for functional products. Age exhibited a small moderating effect for one product type, while gender had no significant influence. Findings contribute to behavioral economics and advertising literature by offering a comparative perspective on nudges and highlighting their context-dependent nature. Managerially, the study underscores the need for tailored strategies: benefit-oriented framing for functional goods and emotionally charged narratives for symbolic products. Limitations include hypothetical scenarios and a restricted product range, suggesting future research should explore real-world scenarios, greater samples, and long-term effects. |
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