Give me some Slack: A Study Examining the Effectiveness of Emergency Reserves to Nudge Persistence after Subgoal Failure in a Dietary Context

Abstract

This study examined the effectiveness of using emergency reserves as a nudge to increase goal persistence after subgoal failure. The aim was to replicate and extend the findings of Sharif and Shu (2021) to a dietary context. Additionally, self-efficacy was examined as a possible mediator of the relationship between goal persistence after subgoal failure and emergency reserves. After a one-week-long baseline phase, participants received a daily vegetarian meal goal between one and four and had to reach it either five times a week (Easy group; n = 8), seven times a week (Hard group; n = 9), or seven times a week with two optional emergency reserves (Emergency Reserve group; n = 11) for four weeks. Results revealed that participants using emergency reserves did not persist significantly more after subgoal failure than participants of the Easy and Hard groups. This suggests that emergency reserves may not be suitable for a dietary context due to a higher share of possible constraints (e.g., social norms, and perceived benefits and barriers) or may only work when framed as clear approach-oriented goals. Further, a lack of goal importance and salience of the superordinate goal may have decreased the effectiveness of the present nudge. Self-efficacy was not found to be a mediator but may instead be a moderator of goal persistence and emergency reserves, which should be further examined in future research.