Defaults are pre-set choices, options, or actions. Humans tend to follow whatever the default is and not actively switch to a new option.
It is essential to understand that defaults are not a tool for behavior change because the person does not actively make a choice to do a behavior. Instead, they are a way to steer behavior towards a preferred option.
To encourage an outcome, set it as the default.
Consider automatic enrollment into a plan, with the option to opt-out.
Consider presenting something like a default - called presumptive language - in cases where you cannot use a default. For example, instead of asking if the parent wants to discuss vaccinating their child today, a doctor could say, “Michael just turned 11. Because he’s 11, he is due for the HPV and meningitis vaccines. We’ll do those today.”
