Nudge

A nudge is a small design choice that influences behavior without directly forcing a decision or removing options.

Nudges shape what people are more likely to notice, choose, avoid, accept, or repeat by changing the decision environment around them.

A nudge may use defaults, reminders, ordering, framing, prompts, friction, simplification, timing, or social signals.

In MNKY Math, a nudge is not treated as automatically good or bad. Its meaning depends on what behavior it encourages, who benefits, who is affected, and whether the person being nudged retains meaningful agency.

In plain language

A nudge is when the system gently steers behavior without making the choice feel forced.

Why it matters

Nudges matter because they show how systems can shape behavior without commands, rules, or obvious incentives.

A nudge can help people act in ways they already value.

A nudge can also quietly steer people toward outcomes that mainly benefit the system.

The MNKY Math question is not only:

Did the nudge work?

It is also:

Who designed the nudge?
What behavior did it make more likely?
Whose outcome did it serve?
Could the person notice, understand, question, or resist it?