|
on Experimental Economics |
| By: | Daniel Engler (University of Kassel, Institute of Economics); Gunnar Gutsche (Paderborn University, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics; University of Kassel, Institute of Economics); Andreas Ziegler (University of Kassel, Institute of Economics) |
| Abstract: | Based on a randomized controlled trial, this paper compares individual investment decisions in pre-registered non-incentivized and incentivized choice experiments to examine hypothetical bias. Using data from a representative sample of over 2, 100 individual investors from Germany and France, our econometric analysis reveals that the willingness to pay for sustainable investments is not significantly higher in the non-incentivized setting than in the incentivized setting, which is contrary to predictions from previous studies. The results are robust to various explanations of hypothetical bias and experimental design choices. Individual characteristics tend to have similar estimated effects on the preference for sustainable investments in both experimental settings. The results of our experimental analysis provide insights into the reliability of previous stated choice experiments and guidance for future experiments in (sustainable) finance. Furthermore, our estimation results improve our understanding of individual investment decisions, which is crucial from a policy perspective since individual investors play an important role in financing the transition to a sustainable economy. |
| Keywords: | Sustainable investments, randomized controlled trial, investment choice experiments, hypothetical bias, willingness to pay |
| JEL: | C25 G11 G41 Q56 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mar:magkse:202515 |
| By: | Bellani, Luna (Ulm University); Bledow, Nona |
| Abstract: | This paper examines how priming and information about inequality affect support for redistribution. Using a large-scale randomized survey experiment in Germany, we vary both the focus (top vs. bottom of the income distribution) and the delivery (subtle priming vs. factual information) of inequality cues. We document three key findings. First, simply directing respondents' attention to different ends of the distribution shifts redistributive preferences—especially when focusing on the rich. Second, information about top incomes has a larger effect than equivalent information about the poor, revealing asymmetric responses. Third, while both priming and information temporarily influence attitudes, these effects fade within one year. Our findings help reconcile mixed results in the literature and underscore the importance of framing, informational content, and message durability in shaping redistribution preferences. |
| Keywords: | survey experiments, redistribution preferences, income inequality, framing effects |
| JEL: | D31 H24 C93 |
| Date: | 2025–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp18066 |
| By: | Conzo, Pierluigi (University of Turin); Della Giusta, Marina (University of Turin); Dubois, Florent (University of Torino); Rosso, Giacomo (University of Turin); Razzu, Giovanni (University of Reading) |
| Abstract: | Mental health is vital for well-being and productivity, yet investment remains chronically low. We study how different framings of mental health investment affect cooperation and donations using a pre-registered online experiment across five European countries (N = 8, 312). Participants were randomly assigned to receive information emphasizing either individual benefits (Private Perspective), collective benefits (Public Perspective), or prevalence data (Neutral Perspective). All treatments significantly increase cooperation in a Public Goods Game and donations in a Charity Dictator Game, suggesting intrinsic motivation drives behavior. Only the Private Perspective increases personal normative expectations, while empirical expectations remain unaffected—suggesting that interventions influence moral beliefs more than beliefs about others’ actions. All treatments reduce self-reported mental health stigma, consistent with evidence from a list experiment, suggesting stigma reduction as a key mechanism. Heterogeneity analyses show stronger treatment effects among individuals with lived experience or prior concern, and reduced contributions under collective framings when public provision is perceived as adequate—consistent with a substitution effect between public and private action. Donations also decline in post- communist countries, aligning with historically lower institutional trust and weaker norms of private giving. These findings highlight how individual perceptions and institutional legacies shape behavioural responses, and suggest that perceived adequacy of public provision can backfire by discouraging private engagement—potentially trapping societies in a bad equilibrium of persistent underinvestment in mental health. |
| Keywords: | online survey experiment, stigma, donations, cooperation, mental health, information treatment |
| JEL: | C90 I12 I18 I31 |
| Date: | 2025–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp18054 |
| By: | Asakawa, Shinsuke (Osaka University); Shimono, Akinori; Takahashi, Mikiko; Yamane, Shoko (The University of Osaka); Sasaki, Masaru (The University of Osaka) |
| Abstract: | This study investigates whether a meeting environment’s visual openness influences team productivity and communication quality. We conducted a randomized controlled trial with participants assigned to discussions held in a transparent glass meeting room (treatment) or a fully curtained room (control). Team productivity was evaluated based on the quality of participants’ policy proposals. Communication quality was assessed using transcript-based indicators such as laugh frequency and topic diversity. We found that groups in visually open meeting rooms received significantly higher proposal ratings and exhibited greater emotional positivity and topic diversity, highlighting that within-session dynamics expose how environmental design affects group interaction. |
| Keywords: | randomized controlled trial, visual openness, communication quality, team productivity, workplace design, natural language processing |
| JEL: | C93 J24 M54 |
| Date: | 2025–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp18058 |
| By: | Moawad, Jad (Department of Social Policy and Intervention, University of Oxford) |
| Abstract: | The increasing complexity of financial markets and the shift towards individual responsibility for retirement savings highlight the importance of sound financial decision-making. However, significant gaps persist, with women and individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds often exhibiting lower financial literacy and market participation. While the effectiveness of broad financial education is debated, the impact of targeted, concise information on specific investment behaviors remains unclear. We conducted a pre-registered randomized controlled trial with a representative sample of U.S. adults (N=2, 568) to investigate whether providing specific information about Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) - comparing their risks and returns to those of alternatives like gold, individual stock, savings, and cryptocurrency - could influence investment choices and reduce demographic gaps. Participants made allocation decisions for a real $100 lottery prize invested for one year. We find that the informational intervention significantly increased allocation to ETF (+17.8 percentage points) on average, shifting funds from savings, gold, and individual stock. Crucially, the intervention had larger effects among women, individuals without a bachelor's degree, and those from lower social origins, substantially eliminating the gender gap and narrowing gaps based on education and social origin. These results demonstrate that targeted, product-specific financial information can be a powerful tool to reduce investment inequalities and promote financial inclusion. |
| Keywords: | Financial Literacy, Investment Behavior, Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT), Financial Inclusion, Portfolio allocation |
| JEL: | G11 G53 C93 D14 |
| Date: | 2025–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:amz:wpaper:2025-16 |
| By: | Lafleur, Jean-Michel; Marfouk, Abdeslam |
| Abstract: | Using an experimental design embedded within a nationally representative survey implemented in Algeria, this study seeks to evaluate the effect that information campaigns have on willingness of individuals residing in the Global South to engage in unauthorized migration to Europe. In particular, in line with the discursive priorities of policy-makers focused on deterrence of irregular migration, we examine the impact of messages on the "risks and dangers associated with illegal migration", "anti-migrants walls and other fences", "undocumented immigrants regularization programs" and "access to welfare". Using an experiment embedded within a national survey implemented in Algeria, we did not find any statistically significant effect of information provision on those issues on the willingness of individuals to engage in irregular migration to Europe. These results question the efficiency and legitimacy of the existing approach to migration-information campaign. They also dispute the frequently used argument in policy debates that regularization programs and immigrants' access to welfare trigger undocumented migration. |
| Keywords: | International Migration, Migration-Information Campaigns, Survey Experiments, Undocumented Migration |
| JEL: | C99 F22 J61 J68 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:glodps:1655 |
| By: | Marcelo Caffera; Carlos Chávez; James J. Murphy; Juan Briozzo; Carolina López |
| Abstract: | We present the results of a series of public-bad laboratory experiments in which we assess whether a salient message suggesting pro-social behavior with an implicit moral appeal, and a tax that is insufficient to induce the optimal level of the externality, can complement each other when implemented jointly. Our results suggest that, on average, (a) behavior is consistent with subjects having moral preferences, (b) a salient message suggesting pro-social behavior can be effective, (c) preferences are nonseparable from the choice of instrument (i.e, the tax crowds-out part of the subjects´ moral preferences), and crucially, (d) the tax and the informative message do not complement each other. The tax has a greater impact on reducing the externality than the prosocial guideline, even though the tax was only half of that needed to reach the socially optimal level. Nevertheless, when implemented together, the total effect of both instruments is similar to that of the tax alone. This result is stronger for those subjects that are more “nudgeable†by the prosocial guideline. These results challenge the policy recommendation that nudges can effectively complement low taxes while awaiting the political will to raise them. |
| Keywords: | Economic experiment, nudge, prosocial guideline, public bad, tax. |
| JEL: | H23 Q52 Q58 C91 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mnt:wpaper:2501 |
| By: | Manuel Fernández (Universidad de los Andes); Marco Gonzalez-Navarro (University of California-Berkeley); Climent Quintana-Domeque (University of Exeter & IZA) |
| Abstract: | Developing countries often face a cycle where weak tax compliance limits public goods, cutting incentives to pay taxes. We test whether improved local infrastructure can disrupt this cycle, using a randomized street paving experiment in Acayucan, Mexico. Of 56 eligible street projects, 28 were randomly selected. A model highlights two mechanisms: belief updating about government efficiency and reciprocity from direct benefits. Three implications follow: (1) belief updating occurs through exposure to paving anywhere in the network; (2) compliance rises with broader exposure; (3) reciprocity boosts compliance among directly treated owners. Survey data supports belief updating: among initially dissatisfied residents, a one-SD increase in exposure to assigned paving lowered dissatisfaction by 7.9 pp, while exposure to actual paving lowered it by 8.8 pp, with no effect among the satisfied. Property tax records show exposure to assigned paving raised compliance by 1.5 pp, and to actual paving by 2.6 pp (3% above baseline). Reciprocity mattered too: owners whose street was assigned paving (or actually paved) increased compliance by 3.2 pp (4.8 pp, or 5.5% above baseline). Belief updating yields four times as much revenue as reciprocity. |
| Keywords: | taxpayer behavior, roads, infrastructure, belief updating, reciprocity, government efficiency, publi |
| JEL: | C93 H26 H41 H54 O12 |
| Date: | 2025–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:col:000089:021501 |
| By: | John Rust (Department of Economics, Georgetown University); Tianshi Mu (Tsinghua University); Pranjal Rawat (Georgetown University); Chengjun Zhang (Morgan Stanley); Qixuan Zhong (Department of Economics, Georgetown University) |
| Abstract: | We compare human and artificially intelligent (AI) subjects in classification tasks where the optimal decision rule is given by Bayes’ Rule. Experimental studies reach mixed conclusions about whether human beliefs and decisions accord with Bayes’ Rule. We reanalyze land- mark experiments using a new model of decision making and show that decisions can be nearly optimal even when beliefs are not Bayesian. Using an objective measure of “decision efficiency, ” we find that humans are 96% efficient despite the fact that only a minority have Bayesian beliefs. We replicate these same experiments using three generations of ChatGPT as subjects. Using the reasoning provided by GPT responses to understand its “thought process, ” we find that GPT-3.5 ignores the prior and is only 75% efficient, whereas GPT-4 and GPT-4o use Bayes’ Rule and are 93% and 99% efficient, respectively. Most errors by GPT-4 and GPT-4o are algebraic mistakes in computing the posterior, but GPT-4o is far less error-prone. GPT performance increased from sub-human to super-human in just 3 years. By version 4o, its beliefs and decision making had become nearly perfectly Bayesian. |
| Keywords: | Bayes’ Rule, decision making, statistical decision theory, win and loss func- tions, learning, Bayes’ compatible beliefs, noisy Bayesians, classification, machine learning, artificial intelligence, large language models, ChatGPT, maximum likelihood, heterogeneity, mixture models, Estimation-Classification (EC) algorithm, binary logit model, structural models |
| JEL: | C91 D91 |
| Date: | 2025–07–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:geo:guwopa:gueconwpa~25-25-02 |
| By: | Dworsky, Leonie; Pipke, David; Tschank, Juliet |
| Abstract: | We evaluate Raise-Up, a pilot in two Turin-area vocational schools that integrated project-based learning on digitization and the green transition into the regular curriculum. Using a difference-indifferences design on three survey waves, we find no positive effects on any pre-registered outcomes, including aspirations, motivation, competencies, preferences, and socio-emotional engagement. The only significant effect is negative: treated students report lower school enjoyment (-0.39σ), plausibly from higher workload. Impacts are more adverse for females, reducing self-confidence and perceived job knowledge, with no socio-economic differences. Post-program feedback aligns with these results, suggesting limited benefits and potential unintended costs. |
| Keywords: | vocational education and training, digital skills, green skills, projectbased learning, dropout prevention, gender differences, field experiment |
| JEL: | I21 J24 Q59 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:ifwkwp:324657 |
| By: | Hope, Jessica Elizabeth (Stanford University); Green, Seth Ariel (Code Ocean); Peacock, Jacob Robert (Stanford University); Mathur, Maya |
| Abstract: | Background Decreasing meat and animal product consumption is a critical element of the EAT-Lancet directive to improve human and planetary health, but scalable, effective solutions remain elusive. Plant-based meat analogues (PMAs) are widely touted as a promising approach, but the extent to which PMAs reduce demand for meat remains unknown. Methods We examined whether offering more PMA-containing dishes on a restaurant menu decreases meat consumption, and whether offering a novel chicken-like PMA specifically decreases chicken consumption. In this preregistered, randomized controlled online experiment, 4, 431 English-speaking American adults viewed the menu from Chipotle, a popular chain restaurant. We exactly reproduced the restaurant’s real menu, except that we randomly manipulated the number of PMAs (zero, one, or two). When one PMA was offered, it was sofritas, a PMA designed by Chipotle which does not emulate any specific meat. When two were offered, they were sofritas and “chick’nitas, ” a fictitious PMA resembling chicken. As the primary outcome measure, participants chose a filling for their taco. Results Adding one or two PMAs to the menu did not meaningfully reduce the proportion of participants selecting animal-based meat. Offering one PMA (sofritas) versus none produced only a negligible 1.14 percentage point (pp) decrease in meat selection (95% CI [-1.02, 3.30], p = .30). For two PMAs (sofritas and chick’nitas) versus none, the estimated decrease was a negligible 2.14 pp (95% CI [-0.08, 4.36], p = .06). The availability of a chicken PMA may have slightly reduced demand for chicken (40.8% ordered chicken in the No-PMA Arm, 39.2% if only the nonspecific sofritas PMA was available, and 35.6% if chick’nitas was also offered). Conclusions Offering more PMAs did not meaningfully reduce meat consumption, and instead reduced demand for other vegetarian options. Overall, our findings do not support the hypothesis that expanding PMA offerings alone can meaningfully shift consumer choices away from meat. |
| Date: | 2025–08–22 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:osfxxx:z6rn2_v1 |
| By: | Soheil Ghili; K. Sudhir; Nitish Jain; Ankur Garg |
| Abstract: | We build on theoretical results from the mechanism design literature to analyze empirical models of second-degree price discrimination (2PD). We show that for a random-coefficients discrete choice ("BLP") model to be suitable for studying 2PD, it must capture the covariance between two key random effects: (i) the "baseline" willingness to pay (affecting all product versions), and (ii) the perceived differentiation between versions. We then develop an experimental design that, among other features, identifies this covariance under common data constraints in 2PD environments. We implement this experiment in the field in collaboration with an international airline. Estimating the theoretically motivated empirical model on the experimental data, we demonstrate its applicability to 2PD decisions. We also show that test statistics from our design can enable qualitative inference on optimal 2PD policy even before estimating a demand model. Our methodology applies broadly across second-degree price discrimination settings. |
| Date: | 2025–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2507.13426 |
| By: | Ahlback, Johan; Yeandle, Alexander |
| Abstract: | International donors have invested heavily in strengthening electoral administration in low-income democracies, aiming to reduce irregularities and build trust. However, we know little about whether these interventions actually improve public perceptions. Using a conjoint choice experiment in Malawi, randomising organisational features of polling stations and their potential for political bias, we examine the determinants of public trust in a low-income setting. Voters are more trusting of stations with well-trained polling staff, independent monitors, security personnel, and transparency measures, effects driven by sanctioning the absence of these basic requirements. Respondents also prioritise procedurally fair measures over those that exclusively benefit their own party or ethnic group, challenging assumptions about the dominance of partisanship and ethnicity in African elections. We contribute to the literature on election administration and public opinion in low-income settings, while highlighting ways in which resource-constrained election bodies can build and maintain public support. |
| Date: | 2025–08–20 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:osfxxx:xhuz5_v1 |
| By: | Dzung Bui (Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg Center for Institutional Economics and Sustainability (MACIES)); Bernd Hayo (Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg Center for Institutional Economics and Sustainability (MACIES)) |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the causal effect of supply constraints on inflation expectations, using a survey experiment conducted with a representative sample of German adults. Respondents first reported their prior beliefs about both official and personal inflation. They were then presented with information about Germany's 2022 supply bottlenecks and randomly assigned to one of three hypothetical scenarios for 2025. Exposure to either shortage scenario significantly increased the likelihood of revising inflation expectations. Personal exposure to supply shortages in daily life and financial literacy also influenced how respondents revised expectations. A topic analysis of open-ended responses provides further insights into how people interpret and react to perceived product scarcity. |
| Keywords: | Inflation expectation, Supply shortages, Survey experiment, Germany |
| JEL: | D12 D83 D84 E31 E71 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mar:magkse:202520 |
| By: | Duarte, Belmiro P. M.; Atkinson, Anthony C.; Moerbeek, Mirjam |
| Abstract: | Clinical trials are essential for advancing medical knowledge and improving health care, with Randomized Clinical Trials (RCTs) considered the gold standard for minimizing bias and generating reliable evidence on treatment efficacy and safety. Stepped-wedge individual RCTs, which randomize participants into sequences transitioning from control to intervention at staggered time points, are increasingly adopted. To improve their design, we propose an information-theoretic framework based on D– and A–optimality criteria for participant allocation to sequences. Our approach leverages semidefinite programming for automated computation and is applicable across a range of settings, varying in: (i) number of sequences, (ii) attrition rates, (iii) optimality criteria, (iv) error correlation structures, and (v) multi-objective designs using the ϵ-constraint method. |
| Keywords: | randomized stepped-wedge; information-theoretic criteria; 62K05; optimal design of experiments; correlation structure; clinical trials; 90C47 |
| JEL: | C1 |
| Date: | 2025–08–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:129135 |
| By: | Fitzpatrick, Aoife Claire |
| Abstract: | In 2023, the transportation sector in Europe contributed 25% of CO2 emissions, with almost no reduction since 2010. Despite government policies promoting decarbonization, public adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) remains limited. This study, involving 5, 500 German participants from a pre-registered survey and experiment, identifies information frictions and mixed beliefs about EV sustainability as key barriers. Two treatments-highlighting EVs' environmental benefits and public policies-both increased participants' likelihood of choosing an EV, but only the environmental treatment raised willingness to pay more. The findings underscore the need for clear, accurate information to complement policy efforts, reducing disinformation and amplifying the impact of initiatives to meet climate goals. |
| Keywords: | Electric Vehicles, Consumer Behaviour, Behavioural Economics, GreenTransition |
| JEL: | D12 D91 G11 G18 G53 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:safewp:324654 |
| By: | Sophie Clot (EDHEC - EDHEC Business School - UCL - Université catholique de Lille); Gilles Grolleau (ESSCA - ESSCA – École supérieure des sciences commerciales d'Angers = ESSCA Business School); Lisette Ibanez (CEE-M - Centre d'Economie de l'Environnement - Montpellier - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - Institut Agro Montpellier - Institut Agro - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement - UM - Université de Montpellier) |
| Abstract: | This study investigates the extent to which people are subject to moral licensing in the environmental domain by examining moral dynamics at a disaggregated level. Using Giving and Taking games with environmental NGOs, we found that aggregate results hide important heterogeneity. Half of the participants engaged in compensatory behavior, with highly environmentally concerned individuals compensating more frequently. Men were more consistent than women, but when they adopted moral licensing, their compensation was significantly greater than that of women. These findings suggest opportunities for improving environmental policy effectiveness. |
| Keywords: | taking game, moral in(consistency), licensing, dictator game, cleansing |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05148018 |
| By: | Reuben Kline (SBU - Stony Brook University [SUNY] - SUNY - State University of New York); Fabio Galeotti (GATE Lyon Saint-Étienne - Groupe d'Analyse et de Théorie Economique Lyon - Saint-Etienne - UL2 - Université Lumière - Lyon 2 - UJM - Université Jean Monnet - Saint-Étienne - EM - EMLyon Business School - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique); Raimondello Orsini (UNIBO - Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna = University of Bologna) |
| Abstract: | The perceived legitimacy of institutions, along with the voluntary compliance with authority that it undergirds, is crucial for stable governance and economic development. Legitimacy varies greatly across individuals and societies. We introduce a simple model of meritocratic equity—the notion that in a social exchange, individuals should receive greater compensation if their contributions exceed those of others. We argue that violations of meritocratic equity undermine the legitimacy of authority, leading to breaking rules, laws and civic norms—behaviors we refer to as justified malfeasance—in an effort to reduce perceived inequity. Using data from an incentivized laboratory experiment conducted in the United States and Italy and complemented by data from the World Values Survey, we investigate the effect of meritocratic violations on malfeasance. We find convergent evidence that meritocratic inequity explains variation in justified malfeasance across individuals and across countries. We conclude by discussing the implications of our results for multiple equilibria in societal levels of malfeasance and voluntary compliance with authority. |
| Keywords: | malfeasance, corruption, meritocracy, equity theory, behavioral ethics, multi-level modeling Legitimacy, and malfeasance |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05167211 |
| By: | Keinprecht, Michael |
| Abstract: | The growing inequalities around the world are becoming increasingly alarming making redistribution more relevant than ever. One reason why people may oppose redistribution is third party loss aversion. In a pre-registered online experiment with a within-subjects design, I show that redistribution decisions by third parties are affected by loss aversion. Overall, spectators are 7%-points less likely to redistribute from a status quo to an alternative if the alternative entails a loss for one person, even if inequality aversion, maximin preferences and efficiency concerns favor the alternative. This effect is stronger the higher the loss is compared to the gain and the higher the individual loss aversion of the spectator. The key contribution of the paper is to disentangle third party loss aversion from pure status quo bias, rank reversal aversion and other distributional preferences in multiple loss scenarios and to link it to individual loss aversion. |
| Keywords: | Third party loss aversion; loss aversion; redistribution; spectators; fairness |
| Date: | 2025–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wus005:76570814 |
| By: | Randall Lewis; Florian Zettelmeyer; Brett R. Gordon; Cristobal Garib; Johannes Hermle; Mike Perry; Henrique Romero; German Schnaidt |
| Abstract: | Amazon's new Multi-Touch Attribution (MTA) solution allows advertisers to measure how each touchpoint across the marketing funnel contributes to a conversion. This gives advertisers a more comprehensive view of their Amazon Ads performance across objectives when multiple ads influence shopping decisions. Amazon MTA uses a combination of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and machine learning (ML) models to allocate credit for Amazon conversions across Amazon Ads touchpoints in proportion to their value, i.e., their likely contribution to shopping decisions. ML models trained purely on observational data are easy to scale and can yield precise predictions, but the models might produce biased estimates of ad effects. RCTs yield unbiased ad effects but can be noisy. Our MTA methodology combines experiments, ML models, and Amazon's shopping signals in a thoughtful manner to inform attribution credit allocation. |
| Date: | 2025–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2508.08209 |
| By: | Zhang, Xin; Jing, Wang Jing; gen, Fan sheng; Feskens, Edith; Duan, Ming-Jie (Wageningen University & Research) |
| Abstract: | Promoting whole-grain consumption is crucial for fostering healthier diets and achieving sustainable food systems. However, whole grain consumption remains low in China, highlighting the necessity for effective governmental policy interventions. This study investigated the effects of information intervention and price subsidy on promoting whole-grain bread choices among Chinese consumers, using a controlled quasi-experiment in a real supermarket in urban Beijing. Three conditions—information intervention, price subsidy intervention, and control—were implemented in separate time slots over the course of eight days. The information intervention featured health messages from the 2022 Chinese dietary guidelines on whole grains, displayed next to whole-grain bread products. The price subsidy intervention provided a post-purchase cash rebate, reducing the price of high whole-grain content bread products to the lowest-priced bread of all bread products. A total of 364 participants’ choice records from shopping receipts were collected, consisting of 132 in the control group, 126 in the information intervention group, and 106 in the price intervention group. Compared to those in the control group, participants in the price subsidy intervention group have significantly increased choices of high whole-grain content bread (OR= 4.67, 95% CI 2.61-8.38), whereas the information intervention showed no significant effect on whole-grain bread choices (OR=0.95, 95% CI 0.58-1.56). The effects remained robust after adjusting for individual socio-demographic characteristics. Future policies to promote whole-grain consumption in China should go beyond only providing generic health information from dietary guidelines but incorporate fiscal measures such as price subsidies. |
| Date: | 2025–08–22 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:osfxxx:uay89_v1 |
| By: | Erbaugh, James Thomas; Duncan, Hannah Jane; Tas, Emcet Oktay; Myers, Rodd; Octifanny, Yustina; Harjanthi, Rahayu; Damayanti, Ellyn K.; Agrawal, Arun |
| Abstract: | The success of climate adaptation and mitigation often depends on support from local communities. Yet, it remains unclear what strategies are most effective to inform and activate support for climate action. This paper presents the results of a randomized controlled trial in Indonesia that evaluated how local climate information and different facilitation strategies for group decision-making on local development spending impacted preferences for climate adaptation and mitigation. In the first treatment, participants watched an educational video on climate change and a presentation on local climate vulnerabilities; in the second, they discussed and voted on spending priorities for local development funds after receiving the same educational materials; and in the third, they deliberated over group spending priorities after receiving the educational materials, discussing, and voting. The findings show that participants who engaged in deliberation about the allocation of local funding demonstrated significantly greater support for climate adaptation and mitigation actions as compared to all other groups. Further, they showed a statistically significant increase in their preferences for climate action after the intervention. The findings demonstrate the importance of sharing accessible information and using deliberative approaches to foster local support for climate action. |
| Date: | 2025–08–18 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:11187 |
| By: | Näslund-Hadley, Emma; Hernández Agramonte, Juan Manuel; Zoido, Pablo |
| Abstract: | In this article, we present the impact evaluation of Irûmi, an educational robot-based intervention aimed at developing second-grade students' computational thinking (CT) skills in Paraguay. Our results indicate that the program had an effect of 0.09 standard deviations on the students' CT skills, focusing on abilities such as abstraction, algorithmic thinking, and evaluation. These findings suggest that with age-appropriate instructional design, very young children could develop CT skills and, that smart devices and electronic toys can contribute to their development at early ages. Our study contributes to the empirical literature because it is applied to a developing country, uses an experimental design, pre-and post-treatment measures, and a large student sample, and explores the programs impact on students and teachers. In addition to the impact on students CT skills, we found that Irûmi had effects on other dimensions for which it may not have been intentionally designed. First, our results suggest that Irûmi raised preferences towards Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) toys and increased gender flexibility toward who can play with them, especially among girls. Second, the program increased children's positive attitudes toward technology. The mechanisms by which the effects of Irûmi occur are several. First, the program increased the probability that the teacher would use educational technology in the classroom, including devices not contemplated by the program. Second, we found that Irûmi developed teachers CT skills, possibly due to the novelty of the curriculum and methodology in the Paraguayan context. |
| JEL: | C93 I20 I24 |
| Date: | 2025–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:idb:brikps:14227 |
| By: | Maussen, Sophie; Cardinaels, Eddy (Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management); Hoozee, Sophie |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:tiu:tiutis:12b25324-07e5-4166-b803-9f8c203faba5 |
| By: | Jacquemin, Philippe; Gräf, Miriam; Bauch, Kristin; Kaur, Avleen; Mehler, Maren F. |
| Abstract: | Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is transforming professional workflows, particularly in programming, where tools like ChatGPT assist with code generation, debugging, and explanations. While GenAI enhances performance, concerns about the implications for well-being and emotions while working with GenAI persist. Especially emotions in terms of positive and negative feelings play a crucial role, influencing how effectively GenAI is utilized in professional settings. Our research explores the impact of GenAI on emotions of employees in a programming context. We conducted an online experiment with 161 Python programmers, assessing performance and positive and negative feelings with and without ChatGPT assistance on two different programming tasks by performing paired t-tests and a structural model analysis. The findings indicate that ChatGPT not only significantly improves performance but also demonstrates a link between positive emotions and enhanced outcomes. These findings highlight the importance of technical and emotional factors in maximizing the potential of human-AI collaboration. |
| Date: | 2025–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:dar:wpaper:156720 |
| By: | Glauben, Adrian; Zöll, Anne; Sharma, Bhavika; Kristo, Filip |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates the dynamics of human-AI collaboration in content generation, focusing on the use of ChatGPT’s dialog-based interface. Through an exploratory experiment involving 304 participants rating various texts, we examine the impact of dialog-based interaction on the quality of content produced in different settings: Human Control, Human-AI without dialog, Human-AI with dialog and AI-AI with dialog. Our findings reveal that while incorporating AI can enhance content quality, dialog-based interactions often do not improve, and may even degrade, the quality of the initial output. As humans are easily drawn to engage in a dialog with AI, we term this phenomenon “the dialog trap”. This study contributes to the literature by highlighting the nuances of human-AI collaborative writing, particularly in the context of generative AI systems like ChatGPT. It also underscores the importance of considering interaction modes in AI-assisted content generation, offering insights for both researchers and practitioners. |
| Date: | 2024–07–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:dar:wpaper:156355 |
| By: | Si, Yafei (University of Melbourne); Meng, Yurun (Xi’an Jiaotong University); Chen, Xi (Yale University); An, Ruopeng (Washington University, St. Louis); Mao, Limin (University of New South Wales); Li, Bingqin (University of New South Wales); Bateman, Hazel (University of New South Wales); Zhang, Han (Xi’an Jiaotong University); Fan, Hongbin (Xi’an Jiaotong University); Zu, Jiaqi (Duke Kunshan University); Gong, Shaoqing; Zhou, Zhongliang (Xi’an Jiaotong University); Miao, Yudong |
| Abstract: | The rapid development of AI solutions reveals opportunities to address the underdiagnosis and poor management of chronic conditions in developing settings. Using the method of simulated patients and experimental designs, we evaluate the quality, safety, and disparity of medical consultation with ERNIE Bot in China among 384 patient-AI trials. ERNIE Bot reached a diagnostic accuracy of 77.3%, correct drug prescriptions of 94.3%, but prescribed high rates of unnecessary medical tests (91.9%) and unnecessary medications (57.8%). Disparities were observed based on patient age and household economic status, with older and wealthier patients receiving more intensive care. Under standardized conditions, ERNIE Bot, ChatGPT, and DeepSeek demonstrated higher diagnostic accuracy but a greater tendency toward overprescription than human physicians. The results suggest the great potential of ERNIE Bot in empowering quality, accessibility, and affordability of healthcare provision in developing contexts but also highlight critical risks related to safety and amplification of sociodemographic disparities. |
| JEL: | C0 I10 I11 C90 C93 |
| Date: | 2025–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp18074 |
| By: | Chrizaan Grobbelaar (Central University of Technology, Bloemfontein); Liezel Alsemgeest (University of the Free State, Bloemfontein) |
| Abstract: | The retirement preparedness crisis presents significant challenges not only for individuals but also for broader economic stability. Millennials, the cohort born between 1981 and 2000, are currently the largest workforce in employment. They face increasing financial pressures, including student debt and volatile job markets, so the urgency to enhance retirement readiness is crucial. This study explores how gamified financial education can improve retirement preparedness and its subsequent impacts on business, finance, and economic systems.A large percentage of millennials are inadequately prepared for retirement, and many lack the necessary financial literacy to make informed decisions. This shortfall in retirement preparedness for a large part of the workforce can exacerbate wealth inequality and place additional burdens on government welfare systems, as inadequate retirement savings could lead to increased reliance on government support, potentially costing taxpayers billions annually.The process of incorporating game concepts into non-gaming contexts, such as retirement planning, has become a popular strategy for educating people about money. Gamified applications have demonstrated the potential to improve user engagement and comprehension by turning complex financial topics into interactive experiences. One of the most important aspects of retirement preparedness is financial literacy. People who are more financially literate are more likely to plan for retirement successfully. In order to promote a culture of proactive financial planning, financial literacy must be incorporated into both workplace training programs and educational curricula.The randomised controlled experiment was conducted in the form of a pre-test, intervention, and a post-test. The pre-test determined the financial literacy levels and retirement preparedness of the millennial participants. A gamified retirement planning education application was developed and tested for its effectiveness in increasing retirement preparedness. A randomised control trial (n=90) with three different groups (control group, traditional educational group and the gamification group) revealed that gamification increased awareness of the need to save for retirement for both the traditional educational group and the gamification group. The gamification group was the only group that demonstrated an increase in their mean score for their interest in retirement planning. The data underscores gamification?s unique capacity to address behavioural barriers to retirement planning. Features like simulated ageing avatars and real-time savings visualisations increased the engagement of participants. The implications of enhanced retirement preparedness extend beyond individual benefits; they encompass broader economic impacts that can drive sustainable growth and stability. Policymakers must prioritise initiatives that promote financial literacy and gamified education strategies within workplaces to ensure that future generations are equipped for financial independence in retirement. |
| Keywords: | Retirement preparedness, Gamification, Financial literacy, Millennial |
| JEL: | G23 D14 A20 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sek:iacpro:15216657 |
| By: | Ferrando, Mery; Katzkowicz, Noemi; Le Barbanchon, Thomas; Ubfal, Diego Javier |
| Abstract: | This paper provides the first experimental evidence on the long-term effects of work-study programs, leveraging a randomized lottery design from a national program in Uruguay. Participation leads to a persistent 11 percent increase in formal labor earnings, observable seven years after the program. Effects are stronger for youth who participate during pivotal educational transitions and are larger for vulnerable youth and men, while remaining positive for women and non-vulnerable youth. The program is highly cost-effective, with average impacts exceeding those of job training programs and comparable to early childhood investments. |
| Date: | 2025–08–18 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:11185 |
| By: | Förster, Manuel (Center for Mathematical Economics, Bielefeld University); Närmann, Fynn Louis (Center for Mathematical Economics, Bielefeld University) |
| Abstract: | We study a dynamic game in which a monopolistic seller sequentially discloses information about a binary state to a consumer through priced experiments. The consumer privately observes a binary signal which influences her willingness to pay for information. We show that if buyer types favor different actions but their willingness to pay for a state-revealing test is sufficiently close, then the seller can commit to a sequence of priced experiments that extracts the entire surplus of both consumer types simultaneously. The optimal sequence of experiments is such that the high-valuation type assigns a higher probability to outcomes that trigger further information acquisition, thus creating a difference in expected costs. As a key element of the construction, we introduce an ‘encryption protocol’ under which the consumer faces a stopping problem. We then characterize situations in which the seller strictly benefits from a dynamic selling strategy when perfect price discrimination is not feasible. Finally, we illustrate our framework in the context of medical diagnostic testing, showing that a free test followed by a state-revealing test is often sufficient to improve revenue in comparison with a static approach. |
| Keywords: | Information design, dynamic mechanism, selling information, encryption, price discrimination |
| Date: | 2025–07–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bie:wpaper:749 |