Ask for a Date and a Time. More People Show Up.
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Flu-shot uptake at a workplace clinic when the reminder mailer asked employees to write the date and time they planned to go (regression-adjusted; 37.1% vs 33.1% raw). 3,272 employees at one firm, fall 2009 (Milkman et al.).
Direct research included. Read the findings and limits.
- 4 entries · direct research
- 1 entry · related research
From Milkman et al., PARC Coach, Beshears et al., Carrera et al.
Overview
Help people turn an intended action into a concrete plan: ask for a date and time, then offer a reminder. Date-and-time prompts increased follow-through in a workplace flu-shot trial; meaningful start dates also helped savings take-up.
Many people who intend to act don't; forgetfulness, procrastination and the lack of a concrete plan all contribute to the gap between intentions and actions (Milkman, Beshears, Choi, Laibson and Madrian).
Fits when
- One-time actions available for a short window, like a clinic on a single day
- Asking for both a date and a time, not a date alone
- Delayed starts labelled by a date that feels like a new beginning: a birthday, New Year's, the first day of spring
Evidence & sources 5 entries
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Good to knowFit and evidence notes
- Fit to consider
- For recurring gym schedules, do not assume a planning prompt improves attendance: one 13-day trial found no gain over recalling past visits.
- About the evidence
- The strongest benefit evidence concerns one-time actions. In one 13-day trial at a single gym, asking members to choose visit days and hours did not increase attendance.
Copy includes 2 more limitations, 4 failure modes, the full evidence, and adaptation guidance.
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