Pre-registration for Systematic Review on Unintended Effects of Healthcare Nudges During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The main objective is to review recent literature on health-related nudges that have resulted in negative outcomes, specifically in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. This systematic review seeks to answer the following question: “What are the conditions that will cause a nudge to result in unintended or negative outcomes?”. A nudge is a type of non-coercive intervention that alters people’s behaviours or choices in a predictable way without forbidding any options or significantly changing their economic incentives (Sunstein & Thaler, 2008). However, individuals may respond to nudges in an unintended manner, often resulting in negative outcomes. This review seeks to understand the conditions that would likely cultivate such effects, especially during high-stakes situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Exploring healthcare nudges such as the use of floor stickers to increase social distancing behaviours or the use of various infographic designs to encourage hand washing and mask-wearing, would aid in the creation of the best policy when it comes to designing future nudges. Project initiated as part of a final year project in Psychology at Nanyang Technological University in 2024.