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The default effect is a cognitive bias in which we have a strong tendency to keep the preset option rather than actively change it. Whatever is pre-filled, ticked or set as the default, most people leave as it is. It is linked to our reluctance to change the state of things, our fear of making decisions and the fact that we subconsciously see the default option as the recommended one. Whoever sets the default actually steers the decisions of most people without forcing them to do anything. That is exactly why the default option is one of the most powerful and quietest tools of influence.
Classification of the cognitive bias
- Cause (Cognitive Bias Codex): Need to act fast
- Mental area: Decision-making
- Marketing function: Price and value
- Buyer journey: Decision
- Cialdini’s principles: not applicable
- System 1 / System 2: System 1 (fast, automatic)
In a nutshell
- What it is: most people leave the preset option as it is.
- Why we do it: it is convenient and safe, and we take the default as a recommendation.
- Where you will come across it: pre-ticked boxes, automatic renewals, default pricing plans.
- How to use it: set as the default whatever you want people to choose.
A real-life story
The strongest evidence came from researchers Eric Johnson and Daniel Goldstein in a 2003 study in the journal Science. They compared organ donation across European countries. In countries where people are automatically donors unless they actively opt out, over 90% of people consented. In countries where people have to actively sign up to donate, the figure was often only around 15%. The people in the two groups are no different. Only the default setting differs, and that decided between life and death for thousands of people.
You know it on a small scale from the internet. When you register, the box “I want to receive the newsletter” is often pre-ticked, and most people leave it that way. Or a subscription that renews automatically until you actively cancel it. Nothing forces you, it is just more convenient to do nothing.
How the default effect works
Change requires effort, attention and the courage to make a decision. Keeping the default costs nothing. On top of that comes the fear that by actively changing something we will get it wrong, and the feeling that if something is preset, it is probably meant to be that way. The effect is closely linked to the tendency to keep the current state of affairs, known as status quo bias, and to loss aversion, because change means giving up certainty. When there are also too many options, the paradox of choice grows stronger and the default option comes as a welcome relief.
Use in marketing
- The recommended option as the default. Most customers accept a preselected plan or package without hesitation.
- Automatic renewal. A subscription that continues until the customer cancels it keeps more people in the long term.
- Smartly set add-ons. Preselected but fair add-ons increase the average order value.
- Simplifying the choice. Offer a clearly recommended default option so the customer does not have to think it over.
- Onboarding with sensible defaults. Well-chosen default values speed up the start and reduce churn.
How to protect yourself against the default effect
- Check what is pre-filled. When registering or ordering, go through what has been ticked for you.
- Decide actively. Ask yourself whether you would choose that option yourself if it were not preset.
- Keep an eye on automatic renewals. Set a reminder before the end so you do not pay out of inertia.
How it connects with other biases
The default option is powerful because it relies on several biases at once. Take a subscription with automatic renewal. The fact that you do nothing and let it run is the default effect and the tendency to keep the status quo. The reluctance to cancel something you already have is loss aversion, and the more data and settings you have in your account, the more the endowment effect and the sunk cost fallacy come into play too. None of this forces you to stay. It is just more convenient to do nothing every time.
Frequently asked questions
What is the default effect?
A cognitive bias in which we tend to keep the preset option instead of actively changing it, because it is convenient and we take it as a recommendation.
How can the default effect be used ethically?
By setting a fair option that benefits the customer as the default. Abusing it through hidden pre-ticked items damages trust and is often illegal too.
