Nudges in the restroom: How hand-washing can be impacted by environmental cues

Abstract

Using a field experiment, we demonstrate how hand-washing, an important public health behavior, can be impacted by environmental cues. We examine hand-washing behavior in public restrooms on the campus of a medium-sized university. We measure the impact of how two “nudges”, in the form of visual cues, impact hand-washing. One inexpensive visual cue (arrow-shaped stickers on the floor of the restroom pointing from the toilets to the sink) increases hand-washing by up to 15%.