The Behavioral Economics of Organ Donation: How do Cognitive Biases and Default Options Influence Organ Donor Rates?

In light of extreme organ shortages in countries around the globe, several nations have chosen to shift from an opt-in system to an opt-out policy in the hopes of improving donor rates. Using concepts of behavioral economics such as the endowment effect and the status quo bias, I will analyse why this policy change may be an effective way of increasing organ donation rates by narrowing the gap between those willing to donate and those who actually donate. The paper provides a closer analysis of these systems using two case studies: the USA, which adopts an opt-in system, and Spain, which uses a soft opt-out policy. Furthermore, this study also examines the impact of message framing on individual choices involving organ donations. My findings suggest that cognitive biases and default options are in fact capable of influencing decisionmaking regarding organ donations, resulting in greater donor rates in countries adopting an opt-out system over an opt-in one. Nevertheless, my analysis also concludes that an opt-out system alone is not an effective way to significantly increase donor rates, and should therefore be implemented alongside administrative and campaigning strategies. Finally, the impacts of framing on choices involving organ donation still remain inconclusive, prompting a more detailed analysis in the future.