Megastudies improve the impact of applied behavioural science
61,293 members of an American fitness chain; 54 four-week programmes designed by 30 scientists from 15 universities; 45 per cent raised weekly visits by 9 to 27 per cent; free audiobook ranked fourth and free audiobook with temptation bundling explained ranked ninth of 53 conditions against the placebo control; 8 per cent with significant effects after the programme; forecasts failed to predict the most effective interventions.
61,293 members of an American fitness chain; 54 four-week programmes designed by 30 scientists from 15 universities; 45 per cent raised weekly visits by 9 to 27 per cent; free audiobook ranked fourth and free audiobook with temptation bundling explained ranked ninth of 53 conditions against the placebo control; 8 per cent with significant effects after the programme; forecasts failed to predict the most effective interventions.
Written from the full text read 2026-10-16.
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Milkman, K. L., Gromet, D., Ho, H., Kay, J. S., Lee, T. W., Pandiloski, P., ... Duckworth, A. L. (2021). Megastudies improve the impact of applied behavioural science. Nature, 600(7889), 478-483. doi:10.1038/s41586-021-04128-4.