Using Technologies to Engage People Cognitively via Financial Incentives

Iwan Barankay, Management, The Wharton School

Abstract: We plan on doing a study that will use technologies to engage people cognitively via financial incentives to bring about lasting behavior modification using the case of tooth brushing. This directly builds on a prior study funded by the Mack Institute where we used Bluetooth enabled brushes to deliver incentives. What we have seen there is that paying people to think about dental health is just as effective. We want to clarify this results with this extension and I will be working in collaboration with the Penn Dental insurance plan in view of subsequent implementation into their plan design.