Engaging the Public Through Design: How Digital Platforms Nudge Public Engagement
通过在中国开展的联合实验，研究数字平台的设计特征（如游戏化、视觉反馈、奖励等）如何提升公民参与低碳行为的意愿，并揭示感知易用性和政策目标实现可能性是关键机制。
ABSTRACT Public engagement often encounters significant barriers and challenges. Digital platforms are increasingly employed to nudge citizens toward behaviors that serve the public interest. This study examines whether and how design features of digital platforms shape citizens' engagement in pro‐environmental behaviors. Drawing on a conjoint experiment conducted in China, we find that design elements such as gamification, visual feedback, rewards, frequent information disclosure, social comparison, and accessibility significantly increase citizens' willingness to engage in low‐carbon behaviors and strengthen their preference for digital platforms. Perceived ease of use and the perceived likelihood of achieving policy goals appear to be key mechanisms driving these effects. Furthermore, citizens' policy knowledge and behavior, as well as their policy beliefs and positions, act as important scope conditions. These findings suggest that optimizing the design of digital platforms can enhance public engagement in voluntary pro‐environmental action.