In behavioral economics, opt-out refers to a situation where individuals are automatically enrolled in a program or policy unless they actively choose to opt out. For example, an opt-out pension plan would automatically enroll employees and require them to actively choose to opt out if they do not want to participate. This is in contrast to an opt-in plan, where employees must actively choose to enroll and contribute to their retirement savings. The idea behind opt-out policies is that people are more likely to participate if they do not have to actively make a choice to do so. This can be useful for encouraging certain behaviors, such as saving for retirement or participating in a recycling program.The most celebrated types of opt-out programs that Behavioral Economists have studied are automatic 401k enrollment programs and opt-out organ donation programs. However, opt-out policies don’t seem to have any meaningful impact on organ donation rates.
