What is the default effect?
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The Bias: Why do organ-donation rates differ hugely between similar European countries?
Opt-out vs opt-in defaults on the form. Johnson & Goldstein (2003) showed consent rates track the default far more than culture. Source: Johnson & Goldstein, Science (2003)
Where It Shows Up: Where else does it show up?
Retirement-plan auto-enrollment. Auto-enrollment dramatically raised participation in workplace savings plans. Source: Wikipedia – Default effect
The Fix: Fix?
Ask "would I choose this if nothing were preselected?". Treat defaults as someone else's choice, then decide. Source: Wikipedia – Default effect