How default choice architecture impacts downstream behavior: A taxonomy, theoretical framework, and research agenda

Abstract Much is known about the immediate effects of default choice architecture and their underlying psychological processes. Yet, significant gaps remain in understanding if, when, and how defaults produce downstream effects on consumer behavior. We resolve conceptual ambiguity around downstream default effects by developing a taxonomy to categorize them and proposing a conceptual framework that illuminates the dynamic interplay of consumers' thoughts and actions with choice architecture as they engage in decision making over time. Applying this framework, we synthesize the current state of knowledge about downstream default effects, producing insights into multiple intersecting factors that modulate them. These include the time course of choice and consumption, consumers' antecedent preferences, and the salience of trade‐offs within and across choices. This theorizing guides our compilation of a research agenda for reconciling inconsistent prior findings and advancing understanding of how defaults interact with individual differences and contextual factors to influence later behavior.