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Put a bet on it : Can self-funded commitment contracts curb fitness procrastination?

Spika, Devon LU ; Wickström Östervall, Linnea LU orcid ; Gerdtham, Ulf LU orcid and Wengström, Erik LU (2024) In Journal of Health Economics 98.
Abstract

We investigate the use of a highly scalable intervention to help individuals achieve their physical activity goals: self-funded commitment contracts. Using a randomised experiment, we compare the effect of soft (non-incentivised) and hard (incentivised) contracts among 1629 members of a gym in Stockholm, Sweden. We find a significant positive impact of being offered a hard contract on monthly visits to the gym and the probability of meeting one's contract goal. Relative to the control group, being offered a hard contract significantly increases gym visits by 21%, while being offered a soft contract leads to an 8% increase.

Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Commitment contract, Gym attendance, Incentives, Self-control
in
Journal of Health Economics
volume
98
article number
102943
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:39571470
  • scopus:85209583382
ISSN
0167-6296
DOI
10.1016/j.jhealeco.2024.102943
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
05fcfb4a-6854-4862-9b4e-57566b96f20c
date added to LUP
2024-11-28 11:59:37
date last changed
2025-07-11 06:44:12
@article{05fcfb4a-6854-4862-9b4e-57566b96f20c,
  abstract     = {{<p>We investigate the use of a highly scalable intervention to help individuals achieve their physical activity goals: self-funded commitment contracts. Using a randomised experiment, we compare the effect of soft (non-incentivised) and hard (incentivised) contracts among 1629 members of a gym in Stockholm, Sweden. We find a significant positive impact of being offered a hard contract on monthly visits to the gym and the probability of meeting one's contract goal. Relative to the control group, being offered a hard contract significantly increases gym visits by 21%, while being offered a soft contract leads to an 8% increase.</p>}},
  author       = {{Spika, Devon and Wickström Östervall, Linnea and Gerdtham, Ulf and Wengström, Erik}},
  issn         = {{0167-6296}},
  keywords     = {{Commitment contract; Gym attendance; Incentives; Self-control}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Journal of Health Economics}},
  title        = {{Put a bet on it : Can self-funded commitment contracts curb fitness procrastination?}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jhealeco.2024.102943}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.jhealeco.2024.102943}},
  volume       = {{98}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}