Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Home
  • Content
    • Current
    • Ahead of print
    • Archive
    • Supplementary Material
  • Info for
    • Authors
    • Subscribers
    • Institutions
    • Advertisers
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Editorial Board
  • Connect
    • Feedback
    • Help
    • Request JHR at your library
  • Alerts
  • Free Issue
  • Special Issue
  • Other Publications
    • UWP

User menu

  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • My alerts
  • Log in
  • My Cart

Search

  • Advanced search
Journal of Human Resources
  • Other Publications
    • UWP
  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • My alerts
  • Log in
  • My Cart
Journal of Human Resources

Advanced Search

  • Home
  • Content
    • Current
    • Ahead of print
    • Archive
    • Supplementary Material
  • Info for
    • Authors
    • Subscribers
    • Institutions
    • Advertisers
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Editorial Board
  • Connect
    • Feedback
    • Help
    • Request JHR at your library
  • Alerts
  • Free Issue
  • Special Issue
  • Follow uwp on Twitter
  • Follow JHR on Bluesky
Research ArticleArticles

Nudging Demand for Academic Support Services: Experimental and Structural Evidence from Higher Education

Todd Pugatch and Nicholas Wilson
Published online before print March 09, 2022, 0221-11474R2; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.0221-11474R2
Todd Pugatch
* School of Public Policy, Oregon State University,
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • For correspondence: [email protected]
Nicholas Wilson
Department of Economics, Reed College, .
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • For correspondence: [email protected]
  • Article
  • Figures & Data
  • Supplemental
  • Info & Metrics
  • References
  • PDF
Loading

Abstract

We conducted an experiment designed to increase demand for academic support services among more than 2,100 students at a large U.S. public university. The intervention shifted student attention and increased service use, but also revealed behavioral biases. Structural estimates using the experimental variation suggest that transaction costs well in excess of plausible opportunity costs explain relatively low service use. Moreover, one-third of students are never attentive to student services. Message characteristics also matter. Several common nudging techniques—such as text messages, lottery-based economic incentives, and repeated messages—either had no effect or in some cases reduced the effectiveness of messaging.

Keywords:
  • email
  • higher education
  • incentives
  • nudges
  • text
  • randomized control trial
JEL codes:
  • A22
  • D91
  • I23
  • M31

This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.

Log in using your username and password

Forgot your user name or password?

Purchase access

You may purchase access to this article. This will require you to create an account if you don't already have one.
Next
Back to top

In this issue

Journal of Human Resources: 60 (3)
Journal of Human Resources
Vol. 60, Issue 3
1 May 2025
  • Table of Contents
  • Table of Contents (PDF)
  • Index by author
  • Front Matter (PDF)
Download PDF
Article Alerts
Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
Email Article

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on Journal of Human Resources.

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Nudging Demand for Academic Support Services: Experimental and Structural Evidence from Higher Education
(Your Name) has sent you a message from Journal of Human Resources
(Your Name) thought you would like to see the Journal of Human Resources web site.
Citation Tools
Nudging Demand for Academic Support Services: Experimental and Structural Evidence from Higher Education
Todd Pugatch, Nicholas Wilson
Journal of Human Resources Mar 2022, 0221-11474R2; DOI: 10.3368/jhr.0221-11474R2

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
Share
Nudging Demand for Academic Support Services: Experimental and Structural Evidence from Higher Education
Todd Pugatch, Nicholas Wilson
Journal of Human Resources Mar 2022, 0221-11474R2; DOI: 10.3368/jhr.0221-11474R2
Twitter logo Facebook logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One
Bookmark this article

Jump to section

  • Article
  • Figures & Data
  • Supplemental
  • Info & Metrics
  • References
  • PDF

Related Articles

  • Google Scholar

Cited By...

  • No citing articles found.
  • Google Scholar

More in this TOC Section

  • Heterogeneous Returns to Active Labour Market Programs for Indigenous Populations
  • Leadership & Gender Composition in Managerial Positions
  • The Impact of Paid Family Leave on Families with Health Shocks
Show more Articles

Similar Articles

Keywords

  • email
  • higher education
  • incentives
  • nudges
  • text
  • randomized control trial
  • A22
  • D91
  • I23
  • M31
UW Press logo

© 2025 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System

Powered by HighWire