  Extracting from shared resources requires making choices to balance personal
profit and sustainability. We present the results of a behavioural experiment
wherein we manipulate the default extraction from a finite resource.
Participants were exposed to two treatments -- pro-social or self-serving
extraction defaults -- and a control without defaults. We examined the
persistence of these nudges by removing the default after five rounds. Results
reveal that a self-serving default increased the average extraction while
present, whereas a pro-social default only decreased extraction for the first
two rounds. Notably, the influence of defaults depended on individual
inclinations, with cooperative individuals extracting more under a self-serving
default, and selfish individuals less under a pro-social default. After the
removal of the default, we observed no significant differences with the control
treatment. Our research highlights the potential of defaults as cost-effective
tools for promoting sustainability, while also advocating for a careful use to
avoid adverse effects.
