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When Do Reminders Work? Memory Constraints and Medical Adherence

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  • Kai Barron
  • Mette Trier Damgaard
  • Christina Gravert

Abstract

An extensive literature shows that reminders can successfully change behavior. Yet, there exists substantial unexplained heterogeneity in their effectiveness, both: (i) across studies, and (ii) across individuals within a particular study. This paper investigates when and why re-minders work. We develop a theoretical model that highlights three key mechanisms through which reminders may operate. To test the predictions of the model, we run a nationwide field experiment on medical adherence with over 4000 pregnant women in South Africa and document several key results. First, we find an extremely strong baseline demand for reminders. This demand increases after exposure to reminders, suggesting that individuals learn how valuable they are for freeing up memory resources. Second, stated adherence is increased by pure reminders and reminders containing a moral suasion component, but interestingly, reminders containing health information reduce adherence in our setting. Using a structural model, we show that heterogeneity in memory costs (or, equivalently, annoyance costs) is crucial for explaining the observed behavior.

Suggested Citation

  • Kai Barron & Mette Trier Damgaard & Christina Gravert, 2022. "When Do Reminders Work? Memory Constraints and Medical Adherence," CESifo Working Paper Series 9996, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_9996
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    nudging; reminders; memory; attention; medication adherence; structural model;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D04 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Microeconomic Policy: Formulation; Implementation; Evaluation
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior

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