Turning stumbling blocks into stepping stones: Simple nudge helps goal pursuers bounce back after setbacks

Small slip-ups happen to everyone, whether it is missing a daily workout, skipping a language lesson or overspending on dinner. However, even minor setbacks often derail long-term ambitions, causing people to give up entirely.

New research from the Alberta School of Business reveals a simple, cost-free solution to keep individuals on track: encouraging them to "make up" for their failure the following day.

According to the study, published in the Journal of Marketing, framing subgoals as opportunities for redemption motivates people to persist in their goals rather than abandoning them.

The psychology of the "redemption nudge"

When individuals fail to achieve a daily subgoal — such as completing a 20-minute language lesson — they often experience a drop in motivation that can lead to broader goal disengagement and even to abandoning the goal entirely.

The research team, led by Shannon M. Duncan, assistant professor of marketing at the Alberta School of Business, tested a digital nudge the day after the slip-up that prompts users to put in extra effort to offset yesterday’s failure.

Across multiple longitudinal studies involving thousands of participants tracking exercise, learning languages, and playing multi-round games, the researchers found that participants who received a "make-up for failure" (redemption) nudge were significantly more likely to resume their goal pursuits. In longitudinal experiments where participants tracked language learning and physical activity over a week, those who were nudged studied and exercised for more total minutes and met their goals on significantly more days.

"There has been relatively little research focused on encouraging persistence after goal violations," says Duncan.

"Most existing work looks at how to prevent failures in the first place. While prevention is important, failure is inevitable. Our research explores how to help people persist and continue pursuing their goals without giving up."

Why the strategy works

Drawing on principles of decision-making and mental accounting, the study reveals that the redemption nudge broadens how people perceive their goal performance.

Without a nudge, failing today's goal after failing yesterday feels like a single new failure. However, when offered a chance at redemption, skipping today’s effort also means missing the chance to erase yesterday’s setback. Consequently, individuals perceive missing the redemption opportunity as two distinct losses instead of one.

To avoid the heightened anxiety, sadness and disappointment associated with a double failure, individuals become significantly more motivated to complete the subgoal after failure.

"When goal tracking apps give users a clear way to make up for a setback, it transforms the next attempt into an opportunity for redemption," Duncan explains.

"Missing that second chance doesn't just feel like failing today’s goal — it feels like failing twice. People are strongly motivated to avoid that, and that's what drives them to continue."

Knowing the limits: Moderate goals and post-failure timing

The research highlights key boundaries to keep in mind when applying this strategy:

• Moderate goal difficulty: The nudge works best when goals are challenging yet achievable. For example, making up for a missed 30-minute workout by exercising 60 minutes the next day is feasible for many. However, asking someone to make up for a missed two-hour workout by exercising for four hours can feel overwhelming, reducing the motivation to try.
• Post-failure delivery: Encouraging people to "plan ahead" by doing extra work before a failure occurs does not work. The emotional drive for redemption only kicks in after a failure has actually been experienced.
• Real setbacks required: If a failure is normalized or excused (e.g., being told "everyone fails this task"), individuals do not feel a strong loss, which attenuates the effectiveness of the nudge.
  Real-world applications for digital products

For developers of health, financial tracking, and educational platforms — such as fitness apps or language apps — these insights offer a cost-free feature that can improve user engagement, curb app abandonment, and boost subscription retention.

By implementing simple interactive interfaces that allow users to reallocate extra effort toward previously missed days, platforms can help users stay engaged and achieve happier, healthier lifestyles over the long run.

Key Takeaways

• Redemption re-engages motivation: Giving people the option to make up for a missed goal the next day (e.g., studying or exercising for double the time) significantly increases goal completion rates and overall engagement.
• Avoidance of a "double loss": The nudge works by prompting individuals to view missing a redemption chance as two failures — the past failure and the current day's failure — rather than just one. To avoid the heightened negative emotions that would result from two failures, people are more motivated to take action.
• Timing and difficulty matter: The nudge is most effective when offered immediately after a failure occurs and when the goal is moderate. Attempting to plan for a failure in advance or trying to make up for an overly difficult goal reduces its effectiveness.
• High value for app developers: Incorporating "make-up" features into habit-tracking, health, and learning apps can boost customer retention and willingness to pay for subscriptions.
  
  Read Duncan’s full article in the Journal of Marketing at DOI:10.1177/00222429261435604

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