Timing is an important factor in shaping the way that people interact with public services. Sending prompts and reminders at the right moment can have more of an impact on behaviour than you might expect. Likewise, we can often nudge people into a behaviour by helping them plan the steps they need to take.
You can make your work more sensitive to timing by:
- Sending timely prompts and reminders. A study in the US found that simple text message reminders to appear at court reduced no-shows by a quarter.
- Emphasising the immediate costs and benefits. People tend to be present biased, in other words, more focused on what something means for them now than what it will mean for them in 10 years.
- Helping people to plan step by step. For example, asking people to jot down the date and time they will get vaccinated has been shown to increase vaccination rates.
Make it Timely: Case study on boosting student engagement with parent texts
The Behavioural Insights Team trialled a text message programme that sent parents timely prompts at key touchpoints. The information covered upcoming tests, whether homework was submitted on time, and what their children were learning at school.
Pupils whose parents received the texts improved maths grades by the equivalent of one month’s teaching. Feedback on the programme from pupils was also positive – although it might be annoying to be reminded, they felt it helped them to keep up useful study habits in the long run.
