Stanford pays people to walk – see what happened
NCT ID NCT03037658
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This Stanford study tested whether offering money for extra steps encourages people to walk more. 450 adults wore pedometers for a baseline week, then earned 2 cents per extra step for a week, followed by a final week without incentives. The goal was to see how different age groups respond to rewards.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
Active substance
financial incentive
What this could lead to
If successful, this could show how to design effective incentive programs to increase physical activity across age groups.
What could go wrong
This is a small, completed study focused on short-term behavior change. Results may not apply to long-term habits or broader populations.
Disclaimer
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This is a summary of
the original study
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Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
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Locations
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Life-span Development Lab
Stanford, California, 94305, United States