Less effort, clear feedback
Default effect
Options that are preselected tend to stay selected.
Well supportedSeveral studies or meta-analyses point the same way.
Example
Countries where organ donation was the default had much higher consent rates.
Why it works
The effort of changing, the sense that the default is recommended, and reluctance to give up the status quo keep defaults in place. A meta-analysis of 58 studies found an average effect, with large differences between studies.
On the web
Preselect the plan or setting that fits most people and say why. Make changing it a single action.
When it backfires
Preselecting newsletters, paid add-ons, or data sharing is a dark pattern and is regulated in some regions.
Sources
Organ donor consent was high in opt-out countries and low in opt-in countries.
Johnson, E. J., & Goldstein, D. (2003). Do defaults save lives? Science, 302(5649), 1338-1339. Open source
Across 58 studies, defaults shifted choices on average (d = 0.68), with large variation between studies.
Jachimowicz, J. M., Duncan, S., Weber, E. U., & Johnson, E. J. (2019). When and why defaults influence decisions: A meta-analysis of default effects. Behavioural Public Policy, 3(2), 159-186. Open source