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on Experimental Economics |
| By: | Michael Cuna; Musharraf Cyan; M. Taha Kasim; John List; Michael Price |
| Abstract: | From newborns to the elderly, exposure to violence and conflict has been found to have deleterious effects. In this study, we explore a unique type of violence: exposure to the Taliban. Pairing a field experiment with a field survey among citizens in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan, we examine how exposure to violence affects general trust, subjective well-being, and confidence in institutions. In our field experiment, we observe that exposure to conflict significantly alters the relative valuation of monetary rewards for oneself compared to those for a comparable peer. Specifically, individuals subjected to violence demonstrate a marked tendency to prioritize their own financial gain over that of a similar other. In the survey, we find that exposure to violence is associated with reduced general trust, trust in informal institutions, and subjective well-being. Interestingly, being exposed to violence increases trust in formal institutions. Our combined results highlight that the interplay between violence and trust dynamics is complex and highly consequential. In turn, the policy implications highlight the need for a multifaceted strategy to support individuals and communities affected by violence, ensuring both immediate relief and long-term resilience. |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:feb:artefa:00805 |
| By: | Diogo Geraldes; Franziska Heinicke; Duk Gyoo Kim |
| Abstract: | We conducted a lab experiment to examine (1) whether luck-based income influences honesty in a subsequent, unrelated decision, (2) whether the perceived agency over an uncertain event affects the interplay between luck and honesty, and (3) whether accumulated previous luck-based incomes influence honesty. Specifically, participants self-report a dice roll outcome after receiving an unrelated luck-based income. Additionally, we manipulated participants’ perceived control over the luck-based income. In the exogenous luck treatment, computerized coin tosses determine the luck-based income. In the endogenous luck treatment, computerized coin tosses also determine the luck-based income, but the participants choose the coin’s winning side beforehand. Our main findings are as follows: lying behavior increases when contemporaneous luck-based income is high, remains unaffected by perceived agency, and does not correlate with prior luck-based income. Furthermore, we find evidence suggesting that individual-specific heterogeneity may significantly influence dishonesty, contrasting with the common view that context is the primary driver. |
| Keywords: | laboratory experiment, lying, luck, honesty, agency |
| JEL: | C91 D03 D82 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_11602 |
| By: | Beknazar-Yuzbashev, George (Columbia University); Jiménez-Durán, Rafael (Bocconi University); McCrosky, Jesse (Mozilla Foundation); Stalinski, Mateusz (University of Warwick & CAGE) |
| Abstract: | Most social media users have encountered harassment online, but there is scarce evidence of how this type of toxic content impacts engagement. In a pre-registered browser extension field experiment, we randomly hid toxic content for six weeks on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Lowering exposure to toxicity reduced advertising impressions, time spent, and other measures of engagement, and reduced the toxicity of user-generated content. A survey experiment provides evidence that toxicity triggers curiosity and that engagement and welfare are not necessarily aligned. Taken together, our results suggest that platforms face a trade-off between curbing toxicity and increasing engagement. JEL Codes: C93 ; D12 ; D83 ; D90 ; I31 ; L82 ; L86 ; M37 ; Z13 |
| Keywords: | toxic content ; moderation ; social media ; user engagement ; browser experiment |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wrk:warwec:1543 |
| By: | Beknazar-Yuzbashev, George (Columbia University); Ichiba, Sota (Tilburg University); Stalinski, Mateusz (University of Warwick & CAGE) |
| Abstract: | Despite being often discussed both in practice and academic circles, the sunk cost effect remains empirically elusive. Our model based on reference point dependence suggests that the traditional way of testing it—by assigning discounts—may not produce the desired effect. Motivated by this, we evaluate it across the gain-loss divide in two preregistered experiments. In an online study, we randomize the price (low, medium, or high) of a ticket to enter a real-effort task and observe its effect on play time. Despite varying the sunk cost by $2 for a 14-minute task and the sample size of N=1, 806, we detect only a small effect (0.09 SD or 1.1 minutes). We further explore the economic applications of the effect in a field experiment on YouTube with N=11, 328 videos in which we randomize whether the time until a pre-video ad becomes skippable is shortened (0 s), default (5 s), or extended (10 s). The intervention has an overall insignificant effect on video engagement. This is driven by a sizable negative effect on the extensive margin, a channel which is not present in the online study. Specifically, more users leave before the video starts in the extended treatment (5.2 pp. or 28% more relative to the shortened treatment). Taking the results of both studies together, we offer a cautionary tale that applying even the most intuitive behavioral effects in policy settings can prove challenging. JEL Codes: C91 ; C93 ; D04 ; D11 ; D12 ; D90 ; M31 ; M37 |
| Keywords: | sunk cost ; sunk cost fallacy ; loss aversion ; mental accounting ; regret ; digital platforms |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wrk:warwec:1544 |
| By: | Kosfeld, Michael (Goethe University Frankfurt); Sharafi, Zahra (Frankfurt School of Finance and Management); Sontag González, Maíra (Goethe University Frankfurt); Zou, Na (University of Bath) |
| Abstract: | Developing reliable and practicable measures of economic preferences is a crucial task for empirical economic research with high value for both theory and applications. Here, we present results from a first comprehensive "behavioral validation analysis" of the Global Preference Survey Module (GPS) and the corresponding Preference Survey Module (PSM) developed by Falk et al. (2018, 2023) that have been widely used for the measurement and analysis of economic preferences on a global scale. Our key questions are how well GPS and PSM modules explain behavior in incentivized choice experiments in other countries than in the original validation in Germany, and to what extent survey items and modules developed from behavioral experiments in different countries and cultures resemble one another. Our current results, which are based on experiments in three very diverse countries—China, Iran, and Kenya—show that many GPS and PSM survey items predict behavior in incentivized choice experiments, but coefficients vary and are not always sizable. Quantitative items, which are based on hypothetical choice experiments, are consistently selected into survey modules, whereas the best qualitative items differ between countries. At the same time, the contribution in terms of explanatory power of these latter items is comparably lower. Our analysis provides a first empirical basis for the development of survey modules that reliably predict behavior in incentivized choice experiments and real-life situations across diverse countries and contexts. Additional results, including principal component analysis and prediction of real-life behavior, highlight important gaps that warrant further investigation in future research. |
| Keywords: | economic preference, measurement, experiment, survey |
| JEL: | C83 C91 D01 |
| Date: | 2025–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17608 |
| By: | Augusto Gonzalez-Bonorino (Pomona College Economics Department); Monica Capra (Claremont Graduate University Economics Department; University of Arizona Center for the Philosophy of Freedom); Emilio Pantoja (Pitzer College Economics and Computer Science Department) |
| Abstract: | Despite its importance, studying economic behavior across diverse, non-WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic) populations presents significant challenges. We address this issue by introducing a novel methodology that uses Large Language Models (LLMs) to create synthetic cultural agents (SCAs) representing these populations. We subject these SCAs to classic behavioral experiments, including the dictator and ultimatum games. Our results demonstrate substantial cross-cultural variability in experimental behavior. Notably, for populations with available data, SCAs' behaviors qualitatively resemble those of real human subjects. For unstudied populations, our method can generate novel, testable hypotheses about economic behavior. By integrating AI into experimental economics, this approach offers an effective and ethical method to pilot experiments and refine protocols for hard-to-reach populations. Our study provides a new tool for cross-cultural economic studies and demonstrates how LLMs can help experimental behavioral research. |
| Date: | 2025–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2501.06834 |
| By: | Marcella Alsan; John Cawley; Joseph J. Doyle Jr.; Nicholas Skelley |
| Abstract: | Eligibility criteria for interventions can induce an Ashenfelter Dip, and subsequent mean-reversion may result in improvement over time even absent the intervention. We investigate these dynamics for a food-as-medicine program to treat diabetes, where eligibility required elevated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). Both treatment and control groups experienced significant improvements in HbA1c, resulting in an estimated null effect. When we predict improvement using baseline characteristics, we find that subjects unlikely to improve on their own appear to benefit from the program. Our findings have implications for program targeting and estimating heterogeneous treatment effects. |
| JEL: | C9 D04 I12 |
| Date: | 2025–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:33369 |
| By: | Charroin, Lisa; Vanberg, Christoph |
| Abstract: | We consider a committee facing binary decisions on a number of proposals. If members vote sincerely and payoffs are symmetric in expectation, it can be shown that the simple majority rule is the best q-majority rule in an aggregate or expected payoff sense. We argue that this conclusion changes systematically if the committee faces multiple decisions and members engage in logrolling deals. In a simulation exercise, we find that unanimity rule outperforms majority rule when the number of proposals considered is large enough. We also conduct a laboratory experiment to investigate whether human subjects engage in logrolling deals and if so which ones. We find that subjects reach some, but not all, of the deals that the experimental situations admit. Deals associated with negative externalities are less likely to arise than others, as are "complex" deals involving many voters or proposals. These results suggest that the impact of logrolling on the relative performance of the decision rules considered may be mitigated by cognitive constraints and other-regarding preferences. |
| Keywords: | logrolling; vote trading; majority rule; unanimity rule; experiment |
| Date: | 2025–01–21 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:awi:wpaper:0758 |
| By: | Guo, F.; Choi, S.; Goyal, S.; Moisan, F. |
| Abstract: | Social networks shape individual behavior, and public policy increasingly leverages networks to enhance effectiveness. It is therefore important to understand how individuals behave in network interactions. This paper uses lab experiments to examine behavior in games on networks involving strategic substitutes and strategic complements. Theory suggests that an individual’s choice is proportional to their (Bonacich) centrality. Our experiments, however, find that while choices increase with centrality, the relationship is weaker than predicted. The total action levels individuals choose and the total payoff they achieve are higher than the Nash outcomes in some cases while lower in others. We find that these results can be coherently explained by individuals’ behavioral attenuation: they have incomplete adjustments to the strategic differences across network positions, exhibiting a bias toward generally high-payoff choices in complex networks—even when these choices are not optimal for their specific network positions. |
| Keywords: | Centrality, Behavioural Biases, Networks |
| JEL: | C92 D83 D85 Z13 |
| Date: | 2024–12–31 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cam:camjip:2433 |
| By: | Guo, F.; Choi, S.; Goyal, S.; Moisan, F. |
| Abstract: | Social networks shape individual behavior, and public policy increasingly leverages networks to enhance effectiveness. It is therefore important to understand how individuals behave in network interactions. This paper uses lab experiments to examine behavior in games on networks involving strategic substitutes and strategic complements. Theory suggests that an individual's choice is proportional to their (Bonacich) centrality. Our experiments, however, find that while choices increase with centrality, the relationship is weaker than predicted. The total action levels individuals choose and the total payoff they achieve are higher than the Nash outcomes in some cases while lower in others. We find that these results can be coherently explained by individuals' behavioral attenuation: they have incomplete adjustments to the strategic differences across network positions, exhibiting a bias toward generally high-payoff choices in complex networks—even when these choices are not optimal for their specific network positions. |
| Keywords: | Centrality, Behavioural Biases, Networks |
| JEL: | C92 D83 D85 Z13 |
| Date: | 2024–12–31 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cam:camdae:2478 |
| By: | Stringhi, Alessandro; Gil-Gallen, Sara; Albertazzi, Andrea |
| Abstract: | This paper studies how competition between groups affects cooperation. In the control condition, pairs of subjects play an indefinitely repeated Prisoner’s Dilemma game without external competition. In the treatment, two pairs compete against each other. No monetary rewards are tied to winning, isolating the bare impact of competition. In the treatment, cooperation increases by 16 percentage points. Strategies estimation shows a shift from selfish strategies (Always Defect) to cooperative ones (Grim Trigger). A theoretical model provides a rationale for the experimental results. |
| Keywords: | Institutional and Behavioral Economics |
| Date: | 2025–01–21 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:feemwp:349168 |
| By: | Ndegwa, Michael K.; Shee, Apurba; Ward, Patrick S.; Liu, Yanyan; Turvey, Calum G.; You, Liangzhi |
| Abstract: | We use a multiyear, multi-arm randomized controlled trial implemented among 1, 053 smallholders in Kenya to evaluate ex-ante investment and ex-post productivity and welfare benefits of two competing lending models: risk-contingent credit (RCC)—which embeds crop insurance with a loan product—and traditional credit (TC). We rely on local average treatment effects to demonstrate the effects of these alternative credit products on borrowers but report the intention-to-treat effects for their broader policy significance. Uptake of RCC increased treated households’ farm investments—specifically, adoption of chemical fertilizers—by up to 14 percent along the extensive margins and by more than 100 percent along the intensive margins, while TC’s effects were less in both magnitude and statistical significance. Neither type of credit product had a significant effect on the overall area cultivated under maize, hence enhancing agricultural intensification but not extensification. Ex-post, neither type of credit product had a strong direct effect on households’ productivity. We conclude that access to credit has potential to increase investment and productivity among smallholders, although improved productivity needs better measurement and extended intervention to be realized. To scale the potential effects of credit, derisking access to credit should be considered to expand access to credit. |
| Keywords: | credit; productivity; investment; smallholders; welfare; risk; Africa; Eastern Africa; Sub-Saharan Africa; Kenya |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:2303 |
| By: | Kaul, Rupali; Anderson, Stephen J.; Chintagunta, Pradeep K.; Vilcassim, Naufel |
| Abstract: | Academics and practitioners acknowledge the value of customer feedback in improving firm performance. Companies routinely solicit feedback from different customer subsets. However, the extent to which this feedback impacts nonsolicited customers depends on whether firms implement meaningful business-level changes that resonate with customers. This paper assesses customer feedback’s impact on firm learning and business improvements as well as its spillover effects on nonsolicited customers using a randomized, controlled field experiment conducted in Rwanda over two years. We hypothesize that private feedback seeking could operate through two broad mechanisms: (a) directly influencing solicited customers and/or (b) prompting firms to improve their offerings, leading to spillover effects on other customers. Our results demonstrate a 38.2% increase in recall and a 77.4% increase in purchases for customers not engaged in the feedback process. The analysis further suggests that business-level changes driven by customer feedback fuel these spillovers. Additionally, customer feedback seeking significantly improves treatment firm performance, resulting in a 62.0% revenue increase and 54.5% profit increase compared with control firms. Our study also introduces a basic customer feedback-seeking technology for small businesses to improve performance. These findings can guide firms in leveraging customer feedback to undertake business changes and generate greater revenues/profits. |
| Keywords: | customer feedback; emerging markets; entrepreneurship; feedback spillover; firm learning; small firm growth |
| JEL: | L81 J50 |
| Date: | 2024–09–20 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:125615 |
| By: | Erika Kirgios; Susan Athey; Angela L. Duckworth; Dean Karlan; Michael Luca; Katherine L. Milkman; Molly Offer-Westort |
| Abstract: | Effective information sharing is critical for the success of organizations and governments. Because information that is easy to access is more likely to be adopted, leaders often minimize friction in information delivery. However, one type of friction may increase engagement: piquing curiosity by posing relevant questions prior to sharing information. To test this, we shared identical information about COVID-19 in either question-and-answer format or via direct statements across two preregistered field experiments in Ghana and Michigan (total N=49, 395). Q&A-style communication increased information seeking about directly related topics (e.g., how to wear a mask properly) by 1.0 percentage-point (216%) in Ghana and by 1.1 percentage-points (19%) in Michigan (p’s |
| JEL: | D83 D91 I12 M3 |
| Date: | 2025–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:33294 |
| By: | Adida, Claire; Kosec, Katrina; Kyle, Jordan; Mo, Cecilia H.; Arriola, Leonardo; Adeyanju, Dolapo; Fisher, Rachel |
| Abstract: | This policy brief presents insights from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted across three states of southwestern Nigeria (Oyo, Ogun, and Osun), examining the effectiveness of advocacy and leadership training for women, along with allyship training for men (their husbands), in improving women’s voice and agency in community governance. With over 5, 800 women participants across 450 communities, this study tested whether training women alone, as well as whether training them in tandem (though in separate sessions) with their husbands, can increase women’s political participation in local governance or the responsiveness of local leaders to women’s priorities. We show causal improvements in both when women are trained and chart out emerging policy lessons. |
| Keywords: | women; women's empowerment; gender; governance; policies; training; Africa; Western Africa; Sub-Saharan Africa; Nigeria |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:polbrf:168449 |
| By: | John List |
| Abstract: | The traditional approach in experimental economics is to use a between-subject design: the analyst places each unit in treatment or control simultaneously and recovers outcome differences via differencing conditional expectations. Within-subject designs represent a significant departure from this method, as the same unit is observed in both treatment and control conditions sequentially. While some might consider the design choice straightforward (always opt for a between-subject design), I contend that researchers should meticulously weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each design. In doing so, I propose a categorization for within-subject designs based on the plausibility of recovering an internally valid estimate. In one instance, which I denote as stealth designs, the analyst should unequivocally choose a within-subject design rather than a between-subject design. |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:feb:natura:00804 |
| By: | Anya Shchetkina; Ron Berman |
| Abstract: | Targeting and personalization policies can be used to improve outcomes beyond the uniform policy that assigns the best performing treatment in an A/B test to everyone. Personalization relies on the presence of heterogeneity of treatment effects, yet, as we show in this paper, heterogeneity alone is not sufficient for personalization to be successful. We develop a statistical model to quantify "actionable heterogeneity, " or the conditions when personalization is likely to outperform the best uniform policy. We show that actionable heterogeneity can be visualized as crossover interactions in outcomes across treatments and depends on three population-level parameters: within-treatment heterogeneity, cross-treatment correlation, and the variation in average responses. Our model can be used to predict the expected gain from personalization prior to running an experiment and also allows for sensitivity analysis, providing guidance on how changing treatments can affect the personalization gain. To validate our model, we apply five common personalization approaches to two large-scale field experiments with many interventions that encouraged flu vaccination. We find an 18% gain from personalization in one and a more modest 4% gain in the other, which is consistent with our model. Counterfactual analysis shows that this difference in the gains from personalization is driven by a drastic difference in within-treatment heterogeneity. However, reducing cross-treatment correlation holds a larger potential to further increase personalization gains. Our findings provide a framework for assessing the potential from personalization and offer practical recommendations for improving gains from targeting in multi-intervention settings. |
| Date: | 2024–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2411.16552 |
| By: | Maurer, Moritz |
| Abstract: | This article reviews the body of research on alternative food and agriculture networks (AFNs). Consistent with previous reviews on the subject, it concludes that the assumed advantages of AFNs require more rigorous verification. However, this review goes further by arguing that the proclaimed experimental appeal of AFNs is not taken seriously enough. It identifies three narratives that overly constrain what AFN researchers consider to be valuable AFN experiments: Alienation-Reembedding, Corporatization-Democratization, and Technologization-Detechnologization. Weaknesses in these narratives highlight missed opportunities to enhance variance in AFN experiments, which could generate much-needed insights for advancing sustainable food production. |
| Date: | 2025–01–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:osfxxx:u2tyv |
| By: | Zanoni, Wladimir; Hernández, Hugo; Gomez, José; Brito, Judith |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates housing discrimination in Ecuadors rental market against women- led and gay male and lesbian (WGL) families, compared to male-led and heterosexual families. Discrimination in housing markets is a critical quality-of-life issue because it exacerbates social disparities by limiting access to safe neighborhoods, quality services, and economic opportunities for marginalized groups. Using an artifactual field experiment with real estate agents (REAs) in Ecuador, we examine whether discrimination varies by the gender of REAs and explore the underlying mechanisms driving this behavior. Our analysis disentangles the observed discriminatory practices into taste-based prejudice and statistical discrimination (stereotyping). We find that discrimination against WGL families is predominantly driven by stereotypes rather than explicit prejudices. Women-led families are favored, while gay and lesbian families face varying levels of discrimination, with stereotypes significantly influencing REAs decisions. Our work contributes to the literature by providing new evidence on the dynamics of gender and sexual orientation discrimination in a Latin American housing market, evidence that emphasizes the role of stereotyping. These findings have significant policy implications because they highlight the need for interventions that target and dismantle harmful stereotypes to promote equity in housing access. |
| Keywords: | field experiments;prejudice;gender;LGBTQ+ |
| JEL: | J71 R21 J16 |
| Date: | 2024–12 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:idb:brikps:13889 |
| By: | Grubb, Michael D.; Kelly, Darragh; Nieboer, Jeroen; Osborne, Matthew; Shaw, Jonathan |
| Abstract: | At-scale field experiments at major U.K. banks show that automatic enrollment into “just-in-time” text alerts reduces unarranged overdraft and unpaid item charges 17% to 19% and arranged overdraft charges 4% to 8%, implying annual market-wide savings of £170 million to £240 million. Incremental benefits from “early-warning” alerts are statistically insignificant, although economically significant effects are not ruled out. Prior to the experiments, over half of overdrafts could have been avoided by using lower-cost liquidity available in savings and credit card accounts. Alerts help consumers achieve less than half of these potential savings. |
| JEL: | F3 G3 |
| Date: | 2024–12–26 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:126884 |
| By: | Schnorpfeil, Philip; Weber, Michael; Hackethal, Andreas |
| Abstract: | We study how investors respond to inflation combining a customized survey experiment with trading data at a time of historically high inflation. Investors' beliefs about the stock return-inflation relation are very heterogeneous in the cross section and on average too optimistic. Moreover, many investors appear unaware of inflation-hedging strategies despite being otherwise well-informed about inflation rates and asset returns. Consequently, whereas exogenous shifts in inflation expectations do not impact return expectations, information on past returns during periods of high inflation leads to negative updating about the perceived stock-return impact of inflation, which feeds into return expectations and subsequent actual trading behavior. |
| Keywords: | Belief Formation, Field Experiment, Inflation, Trading |
| JEL: | C93 D14 D83 D84 E22 E31 E44 G11 G51 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:cfswop:308804 |
| By: | Burnitt, Christopher (University of Warwick); Gars, Jared (University of Florida and JILAEE); Stalinski, Mateusz (University of Warwick & CAGE) |
| Abstract: | Addressing rising political polarization has become a focal point for policy makers. Yet, there is little evidence of its economic impacts, especially in contexts where partisanship cannot be easily hidden. To fill this gap, we study a novel channel: the perception of out-group partisan oversight of independent civil service reduces trust in regulation, affecting key markets (e.g., food and medicine). First, we motivate it by demonstrating the salience of the association between the president and expert regulators in US media reporting. Second, in a pre-registered experiment with 5, 566 individuals, we test the channel by exploiting an alignment in the way that the EPA under Trump and Biden defended the safety of spraying citrus crops with antibiotics. This enabled us to randomize the partisanship of the administration, holding the scientific arguments constant. Despite the EPA’s independence, out-group administration reduces support for the spraying by 26%, lowers trust in the EPA’s evaluation, and increases donations to an NGO opposing the spraying by 15%. We find no overall effect on the willingness to pay for citrus products, measured in an obfuscated follow-up survey. However, we document significant differences in effects for elastic vs. inelastic consumers. Taken together, polarization has the potential to affect economic decisions. However, a reduction in trust might not translate into lower demand, especially for inelastic consumers. JEL Codes: D12 ; D83 ; P16 ; Q11 ; Q13 ; Q18 ; Z18 |
| Keywords: | political polarization ; civil service ; trust in regulation ; trust in science ; food policy ; partisan identity ; consumer demand |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wrk:warwec:1542 |
| By: | Kosec, Katrina; Kyle, Jordan; Mo, Cecilia H. |
| Abstract: | This policy brief shares quantitative results from a project examining the effectiveness of advocacy and leadership training for women, along with allyship training for men (their husbands), in improving women’s economic outcomes. We share insights from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted across three states of southwestern Nigeria (Oyo, Ogun, and Osun) involving over 5, 800 women participants from 450 communities. We causally test whether training women alone, as well as whether training them in tandem (though in separate sessions) with their husbands, can increase women’s access to and investments in livelihood opportunities. While the trainings were designed to train women in the skills needed for engaging in the local policy process in rural communities in Nigeria and to train their husbands on the benefits of women’s participation in community affairs as well as in how to practically support their wives’ participation, we posit that increased efficacy combined with advocacy skills and husbands’ support could additionally have profound economic spillovers. Indeed, we show causal improvements in these outcomes when women are trained and present some emerging policy lessons. |
| Keywords: | women's empowerment; economic activities; gender; women; training; policies; Africa; Western Africa; Sub-Saharan Africa; Nigeria |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:prnote:168455 |
| By: | Colleen Heflin (Center for Policy Research, Maxwell School, Syracuse University, 426 Eggers Hall, Syracuse, NY 13244); Hannah Patnaik (Center for Policy Research, Maxwell School, Syracuse University, 426 Eggers Hall, Syracuse, NY 13244); Leonard M. Lopoo (Center for Policy Research, Maxwell School, Syracuse University, 426 Eggers Hall, Syracuse, NY 13244); Siobhan O'Keefe |
| Abstract: | Food insecurity is more common among military families than the general population, and the transition from active service to civilian life is a time of heightened risk. The Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) is designed to support food security among low-income families. Many eligible military and veteran families do not enroll in SNAP due to a lack of information, stigma, and administrative barriers. This brief highlights findings from a survey experiment conducted in 2022 and 2023 to assess how small changes to SNAP informational flyers, such as simplifying information provided about SNAP, highlighting that other veterans use SNAP, and emphasizing how much monetary support veterans may be foregoing, to improve SNAP uptake among military families transitioning to civilian life. Results of the study show that making these small changes to informational flyers increased veterans’ awareness and comprehension of SNAP, while also reducing the cognitive load placed on veterans and their families. |
| Keywords: | Food insecurity, SNAP, veterans |
| Date: | 2023–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:max:cprpbr:7 |
| By: | Paolo Crosetto (GAEL - Laboratoire d'Economie Appliquée de Grenoble - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes - Grenoble INP - Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes); Laurent Muller (GAEL - Laboratoire d'Economie Appliquée de Grenoble - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes - Grenoble INP - Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes); Bernard Ruffieux (GAEL - Laboratoire d'Economie Appliquée de Grenoble - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes - Grenoble INP - Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes) |
| Abstract: | We run an incentivized framed laboratory experiment to evaluate the interaction of labelling (Nutri-Score) and pricing policies (fat taxes and thin subsidies) on the food shopping of a sample of French consumers. Taxes and subsidies, designed to fit Nutri-Score, are differentiated according to their magnitude (large or small), and their salience (explicit or implicit). We exploit a difference-in-difference design, whereby subjects shop for real from a catalog of 290 products twice, first without any labelling nor pricing policy, and then a second time with one of five different combinations of labelling and pricing policies. Results show that: (i) when implemented alone, taxes and subsidies are less effective than labelling, especially when implicit and when small in magnitude; (ii) policies mixing pricing and labelling are strongly sub-additive; (iii) consumers would benefit from such policies in terms of expenditure at the expense of the State. |
| Keywords: | Nutritional policies, Labels, Price policy, Laboratory experiment, Nutri-Score |
| Date: | 2025–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04880070 |
| By: | Van Campenhout, Bjorn; Nabwire, Leocardia; Kramer, Berber; Trachtman, Carly; Abate, Gashaw T. |
| Abstract: | ï µ Semi-subsistence farmers in developing countries often play dual roles as both consumers and producers of the same crops. Consequently, decisions regarding crop selection are influenced by a com bination of household consumption needs and market-oriented considerations. ï µ In this policy note, we summarize findings from a field experiment suggesting that integrating con sumption-oriented traits such as taste, color, and ease of cooking alongside production advantages is crucial for driving demand for improved crop varieties. ï µ The field experiment consists of two interventions designed to enhance the adoption of improved maize seed varieties among smallholder farmers in eastern Uganda. The first intervention involves providing farmers with free seed sample packs to plant and directly experience the production related benefits, such as higher yield potential and drought resistance. The second intervention consists of organizing cooking demonstrations and blind tasting sessions to compare maize from improved variety with local varieties, focusing on consumption traits like palatability, texture, and ease of cooking. ï µ We find that the seed sample packs significantly enhance farmers' perceptions of the seed's production traits, while the cooking demonstrations improve appreciation for its consumption traits. We also find that the cooking demonstration and tasting session increased the use of fresh Bazooka seed, with some indications that this also led to higher maize productivity. On the other hand, farmers who received the sample packs are more likely to reuse/recycle the grain harvested from the sample pack as seed in the subsequent season, essentially crowding out the demand for fresh/purchased seed. We argue that this may be a rational response in the context of positive transaction costs related to the use of improved seed varieties |
| Keywords: | consumer behaviour; crops; varieties; seeds; farmers; cooking; maize; Africa; Eastern Africa; Uganda |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:polbrf:168659 |
| By: | Michael Thaler; Mattie Toma; Victor Yaneng Wang |
| Abstract: | When communicating numeric estimates with policymakers, journalists, or the general public, experts must choose between using numbers or natural language. We run two experiments to study whether experts strategically use language to communicate numeric estimates in order to persuade receivers. In Study 1, senders communicate probabilities of abstract events to receivers on Prolific, and in Study 2 academic researchers communicate the effect sizes in research papers to government policymakers. When experts face incentives to directionally persuade instead of incentives to accurately inform receivers, they are 25-29 percentage points more likely to communicate using language rather than numbers. Experts with incentives to persuade are more likely to slant language messages than numeric messages in the direction of their incentives, and this effect is driven by those who prefer to use language. Our findings suggest that experts are strategically leveraging the imprecision of language to excuse themselves for slanting more. Receivers are persuaded by experts with directional incentives, particularly when language is used. |
| JEL: | C91 D83 D91 D73 I23 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_11600 |
| By: | Belardinelli, Paolo; Belle, Nicola; Cantarelli, Paola; Battaglio, Paul |
| Abstract: | This randomized study explores the causal mechanisms linking contingent pay to individual performance on a series of tasks mimicking real public management activities. Employing a parallel encouragement design in a laboratory setting, we disentangle the overall, direct, and indirect performance effects of perceived fairness as well as a pay scheme that reproduces the merit system provisions adopted by the Italian government. The overall performance effect of that contingent pay scheme turned out to be insignificant when averaged across the four experimental tasks. However, a significant pay-for-performance effect was detected for the most routine task. Moreover, we observed heterogeneity in the treatment effect depending on the participants’ relative positioning in the performance ranking. Overall, the data do not provide support for a mediation model linking contingent pay-for-performance through perceived fairness. Points for practitioners Workers tend to perceive pay-for-performance as fairer than equal pay. The effectiveness of pay-for-performance seems to be greater for more routine tasks. Public organizations and their managers should be aware that the effects of pay-for-performance may be unpredictable because they depend on a multitude of factors. |
| Keywords: | human resources management; performance; public management |
| JEL: | R14 J01 |
| Date: | 2023–12–31 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:115460 |
| By: | Kariuki, Sarah W.; Mohamed, Asha B.; Mutuku, Urbanus; Mutegi, Charity; Bandyopadhyay, Ranajit; Hoffmann, Vivian |
| Abstract: | Agricultural technologies shown to be highly effective in research trials often have a lower impact when utilized by smallholder farmers. Both heterogeneous returns and suboptimal application are believed to play a role in this efficacy gap. We provide experimental evidence on the impact of a biocontrol product for the control of aflatoxin, a carcinogenic fungal byproduct, as applied by smallholder farmers in Kenya. By varying the level of external support across farmers, we investigate the role of misapplication in the effectiveness gap. We find that the provision of biocontrol together with a one-time training on application reduces aflatoxin contamination in maize relative to a control group by 34 percent. Additional training to the farmers in the form of a call to remind them of the correct time of application in the crop cycle increases the reduction to 52 percent. Our findings indicate that farmers can achieve meaningful improvements in food safety using biocontrol even with minimal training on its use and that additional support at the recommended time of application can strengthen its impact. |
| Keywords: | food safety; aflatoxins; impact assessment; agricultural technology; smallholders; training; maize; crops |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:2304 |
| By: | Bradley J. Ruffle |
| Abstract: | Almost all Canadian and many American universities and colleges participate in cooperative education programs whereby each year co-op students alternate between dedicated for-credit work terms and school terms. Many of these programs use a minimum sums algorithm (MS) to match students to jobs. In this first study of the algorithm, we show that it and all its variations may produce unstable outcomes. We compare experimentally the properties of this algorithm and seemingly improved variations with the deferred acceptance algorithm (DA). While the improved versions of MS sometimes lead to more truthful reporting of preferences and increase the likelihood of a stable assignment, they all fare worse than DA. Our data reveal that the superior outcomes associated with DA are the result of both the algorithm itself and the behavioral responses it elicits. The continued use of MS has large adverse consequences for human capital accumulation and lifetime earnings. |
| Keywords: | experimental economics; two-sided matching; deferred acceptance; mechanism design; co-operative education |
| JEL: | C78 C90 |
| Date: | 2025–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mcm:deptwp:2025-02 |
| By: | Cui, Chi; Dai, Ming; Alevy, Jonathan |
| Abstract: | This study explores the way in which social information about giving impacts the stability of distributional preferences. We designed a two-stage treatment which varied the information participants received about the maximum amounts given to recipients. Information on maximum giving can significantly increase giving share compared to the control group, especially when the relative price of giving is low. However, with a rise in the relative price, the giving decreases significantly. Applying measures of consistency with the Generalized Axiom of Revealed Preference (GARP) and non-linear Tobit estimates of preferences, we observe changes in distributional preferences indicating that more fairness and efficiency are considered in distributions when social information is provided. Type changes in distributional preferences at an individual level provide evidence that there is one substitution relationship with context to fairness-selfishness and efficiency-equality tradeoffs. People’s preferences can change due to environmental factors, which are less equalityfocused and more efficiency-oriented. It provides evidence for heterogeneity in preference stability by studying distribution stability causal effect. |
| Keywords: | Distributional Preferences; GARP; Dictator Game; Maximum Information |
| Date: | 2025–01–21 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:awi:wpaper:0759 |