Current statistics on organ donation point to an ever-increasing demand yet inadequate supply of available donors. And while the vast majority of Americans (90%) support organ donation, only 60% are registered. Our study demonstrates how intercepting customers with behaviorally informed promotional materials at the right time (e.g., “If you needed a transplant would you have one?”), along with streamlined customer service (e.g., additional time and a simplified form) can help overcome the intention-action gap and significantly increase new organ donor registrations.

1. Increasing Organ Donor
Registrations with
Behavioral Interventions
A Field Experiment
From: Nicole Robitaille, Nina Mazar, Claire I. Tsai, Avery M. Haviv, and Elizabeth Hardy (2021)

2. www.organdonor.gov, https://organtissuedonation.ca
A Need For Organ Donors
US (328.2 Million)
• Currently, 3 in every 10,000 Americans is
on the waitlist
• 17 die die every day - while waiting
• 90% of Americans support organ donation
• 60% of Americans are registered as donor
Canada (37.6 Million)
• Currently, 1 in every 10,000 Canadians is on
the waitlist
• Approximately 1 of these individuals die
every day - while waiting
• 90% of Canadians support organ donation
• 32% of Canadians are registered as donors
From: Nicole Robitaille, Nina Mazar, Claire I. Tsai, Avery M. Haviv, and Elizabeth Hardy (2021)
Many countries need more organ donors, but have a large intention-action gap between those who
support donation and those who are registered as donors

3. How can we overcome the intention-action gap
and increase registrations within the current
organ donation systems?
• Give individuals more time by handing out the donor registration
form together with a waiting number when entering the DMV
• Simplify the organ donor registration form
• Motivate individuals to register with relevant information or
altruistic nudge
From: Nicole Robitaille, Nina Mazar, Claire I. Tsai, Avery M. Haviv, and Elizabeth Hardy (2021)

4. From: Nicole Robitaille, Nina Mazar, Claire I. Tsai, Avery M. Haviv, and Elizabeth Hardy (2021)
Experimental Methods
Reciprocal Altruism Nudge:
“If you needed a transplant, would you have one?”
Imagine Self Nudge:
“How would you feel if you or someone you loved needed a
transplant and couldn’t get one?”
Imagine Other Nudge:
“How do you think people feel when they, or someone they
love, need a transplant and can’t get one?”
Consumers in a Service Ontario (i.e.,
DMV equivalent) were provided with a
simplified organ donation form as
control
Depending on condition, the form was also
accompanied by an informational brochure or
included one of the following nudges

5. New Organ Donor Registration Rates
*
**
From: Nicole Robitaille, Nina Mazar, Claire I. Tsai, Avery M. Haviv, and Elizabeth Hardy (2021)
3.00%
4.10%
5.90%
7.40%
5.00% 4.90%
3.30%
0.00%
2.50%
5.00%
7.50%
10.00%
Standard
Process
Control Informational
Brochure
Reciprocal
Altruism
Imagine Self Imagine Other Post
Experiment
“If you needed a
transplant, would you
have one?”

6. • Promoting reciprocal altruism resulted in 80% more organ donor registrations (in
comparison to just the more time + simplified form control condition)
If introduced across Ontario, we could expect 225,00 new annual registrations,
holding all else constant
• We made the registration process more efficient (saving time by handing out new
simplified registration forms upon arrival at the service center)
• Low implementation cost of experiment: ~ CAD 3,000 (printing of new forms)
• ServiceOntario has since implemented the reciprocal altruism prompt but on a different
simplified form and without the process changes (i.e. more time)
Takeaways
From: Nicole Robitaille, Nina Mazar, Claire I. Tsai, Avery M. Haviv, and Elizabeth Hardy (2021)