A quick practice will got far more people to write a real one
Who it’s about: Adults
- Helped
After a practice will, 9 in 100 wrote a real will within five months, against 1 in 100 without it.
Randomised trial of 230 adults at retirement-planning workshops in Israel · vs the same workshop and advice without the draft · behaviour was recorded · ⚠ whole groups were assigned, not people
The study
Who took part
230 adults in Israel at retirement-planning workshops, about 64 years old on average. 122 did the draft exercise and 108 went to the same workshops without it.
What they did
In one workshop session, one group spent a few minutes on a practice will form, then threw it away. The other group got the same information about wills and the same advice to make one, but no practice form. Whole workshops, not single people, were picked for each version.
What happened
About five months later, 9 in 100 people in the draft group had written a real will. In the other group, it was about 1 in 100.
Source
Behavioral Insights into Financial Planning: A Gradualism Approach to Will-Making (2025)
DOI: 10.1142/s2010139225400051 (opens in a new tab)Tools in this study
Action5
Write a rough draft you're allowed to throw awayA low-stakes first version of a dreaded task.
