Daily self-nudging towards physical activity: implications for vigour, creativity, and prosocial work behavior

This study integrates nudging and proactivity theories to investigate how individuals can nudge themselves to be more physically active. We test the daily effects of self-nudging on vigour and use the dual pathway to creativity model to predict indirect effects on two non-targeted outcomes: creativity and prosocial behaviour. One hundred eighty-two (NL2 = 182) employees filled out a short survey for five consecutive days (NL1 = 672). Results of multilevel structural equation modelling provide evidence for the hypothesized model. Daily self-nudging towards physical activity was positively related to (a) creativity and (b) prosocial behaviour through vigour (a combination of physical strength and cognitive liveliness) – after controlling for previous-day levels of the mediator and outcomes. Self-nudging also showed direct effects on the two non-targeted outcomes. These findings offer support for nudging theory and the dual pathway to creativity model. We discuss the theoretical implications and three practical applications.