|
on Experimental Economics |
| By: | Alapini, Gefry B.; Djima, Jesugnon E.; Zhazhin, Kirill |
| Abstract: | We replicate Horváth (2025), experimentally studying link formation and effort in a linear-quadratic game with positive externalities. Across five treatments, subjects exert 38-97 percent more effort than the Nash benchmark yet create too few links, depressing payoffs. In groups of five, the complete network appears in roughly 25 percent of final rounds (66-76 percent if deviations of ±2 links are allowed); in groups of nine it is almost never reached. Larger groups and lower link costs fail to improve connectivity. Following the original procedures and analysis step-for-step, our replication reproduces the sign, magnitude, and statistical significance of every reported effect. Robustness checks-learning, benefit salience, group benchmarking, alternative clustering, and multiple link-formation specifications- confirm the core pattern: persistent over-provision of effort coupled with under-provision of links, generating substantial efficiency losses. |
| Keywords: | network formation, efficiency, linear-quadratic payoffs, experiment |
| JEL: | D85 D62 C92 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:i4rdps:280 |
| By: | John List |
| Abstract: | List Experiments are widely used across the social sciences to measure sensitive attitudes and behaviors, yet no prior study has validated their estimates against an incentive-compatible behavioral measure. I conduct a field experiment with 400 subjects at a sports card show, combining List Experiment treatments for willingness to pay, one for wolf reintroduction in Yellowstone Park, one for a graded sports card, with a Vickrey second-price auction that provides a real-money benchmark. The List Experiment estimates 26% would pay $50 for the card, compared to 22% who bid at least that amount in the auction; this difference is not statistically significant. These results provide the first criterion validity test of a List Experiment and suggest the method holds promise as a parsimonious alternative to conventional stated preference approaches in settings where survey space constraints preclude standard bias-mitigation interventions. |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:feb:framed:00830 |
| By: | Thomas Dohmen (University of Bonn); Frauke Meyer (Eilert-Academy, Berlin); Gari Walkowitz (Technical University Bergakademie Freiberg, Technical University of Munich) |
| Abstract: | Thomas Dohmen, Frauke Meyer, Gari Walkowitz |
| Keywords: | Basic Needs, Redistribution, Distributional Motives, Maximin, Public Policy, Field Experiment, Laboratory Experiment |
| JEL: | D31 D63 H23 C93 C91 D01 D91 |
| Date: | 2026–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ajk:ajkdps:389 |
| By: | Luca Corazzini (University of Milan-Bicocca); Marco Diamante (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice); Valeria Maggian (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice) |
| Abstract: | Assessing the causal impact of narratives on beliefs and behaviors remains an empirical challenge for social scientists, largely due to endogeneity and cultural factors. To address these limitations, we present the results of a novel, content-neutral laboratory experiment. In this experiment, participants (i) engage in a zero-sum game against a non-strategic robot, where the final outcome is determined with equal probability either by their choices or by randomness, and (ii) are exposed to either hopeful or passive narratives. These narratives differ in how ambiguous evidence is presented, suggesting whether or not participants can actively determine the final outcome of the game through their choices. Our findings reveal that, regardless of the narrative they are exposed to, participants consistently form beliefs and make choices under the illusion that they can influence the final outcomes. When provided with unambiguous evidence disproving this illusion, participants adjust their beliefs accordingly, although their choices take longer to align with these updated beliefs. Furthermore, exposure to the passive narrative reduces the inconsistency between beliefs and choices when participants mistakenly believe their choices determine the final outcome. Finally, presenting unambiguous evidence that contradicts the narrative's content increases the proportion of random and unpredictable choices. |
| Keywords: | Narratives, polarization, illusion of control, lab experiment |
| JEL: | C91 C70 D91 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ven:wpaper:2026:02 |
| By: | Ann-Kristin Reitmann (CREM - Centre de recherche en économie et management - UNICAEN - Université de Caen Normandie - NU - Normandie Université - UR - Université de Rennes - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Universität Passau [Passau], Leibniz Universität Hannover = Leibniz University Hannover); Clotilde Mahé (VU - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam [Amsterdam], Amsterdam Institute for Global Health & Development [Amsterdam, The Netherlands]); Micheline Goedhuys (Maastricht University [Maastricht]); Eleonora Nillesen (Maastricht University [Maastricht]) |
| Abstract: | We test two common features of the opinion-matching method to elicit personal beliefs and perceived social norms regarding female labor force participation among a sample of young Tunisian men and women. Our survey experiment contains two orthogonal treatment arms. In the first treatment arm, respondents were randomly assigned to answer a direct question about their personal beliefs regarding women working outside the home and an indirect questioning technique that provides more cover for the respondent: the list experiment. We find significant discrepancies between the two, particularly among male respondents -suggesting either biased personal beliefs in the direct question or non-strategic misreporting in the list experiment. It follows that, depending on which method is deemed more credible and which gender sample is considered, the prevalence of pluralistic ignorance varies widely in our setting. For the second treatment arm, we provided half of our sample with a financial incentive when eliciting perceived social norms regarding the appropriateness of women working. We find that financial incentives are necessary for both men and women to distinguish their personal beliefs from their perception of what others believe. |
| Keywords: | List experiment, Opinion-matching method, Female labor force participation, Social norms, Survey experiment |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05496799 |
| By: | Ludolph, Melina; Nghiem, Giang; Tonzer, Lena |
| Abstract: | We study how individuals' views on current and future levels of income inequality change during periods of expansionary fiscal policy. In a randomized controlled trial (RCT), we provide information on fiscal expansion to a representative sample of the German population. Our findings reveal that combining a fact-based (numerical) information treatment with a narrative treatment about fiscal expansion plans reduces inequality expectations among respondents who are ex-ante dissatisfied with the government's economic policy. These effects are more pronounced among respondents without a college degree or with low political interest, highlighting the importance of narrative information for individuals who are likely to benefit most from it. We explore potential mechanisms by examining revisions in macro- and micro-level assessments of future economic conditions and find that respondents primarily update their expectations regarding economic growth and individual layoff risk |
| Keywords: | Fiscal Expansion; Household Expectations; Inequality; Survey Experiment |
| JEL: | D83 D84 E31 E62 H31 |
| Date: | 2026–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:han:dpaper:dp-744 |
| By: | Hernan Bajerano (Center for Economic Research and Teaching (CIDE) and Economic Science Institute, Chapman University); Matias Busso (Inter-American Development Bank); Juan Francisco Santos (Inter-American Development Bank) |
| Abstract: | We study how individuals in six Latin American countries value public versus private provision of education and healthcare using a survey experiment. Respondents were randomly assigned to vignettes that vary income, service quality, and provider type. Reported service quality is the main driver of choices: the probability of selecting a private provider roughly doubles when reported quality of the public option falls from 80 to 20 percent, while income has a smaller effect. Higher institutional trust lowers the likelihood of switching to private providers but does not affect willingness to pay once individuals choose private provision. |
| Keywords: | Stated preferences; Willingness to pay; Public versus private provision; Service quality; Latin America |
| JEL: | D12 H42 I21 I18 O54 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:chu:wpaper:26-01 |
| By: | Carla Coccia; Martina Jakob; Konstantin Büchel; Ben Jann |
| Abstract: | Despite billions spent annually on teacher training, rigorous evidence on standalone in-service programs remains scarce, as most evaluated programs bundle training with curriculum or material reforms. We address this gap through a large-scale randomized controlled trial with 338 schools and over 6, 000 students in El Salvador. Teachers are randomly assigned to either a control group or one of three training programs focusing on (i) content knowledge, (ii) pedagogical knowledge, or (iii) a combination of both inputs. We find lasting effects on teacher content and pedagogical knowledge of up to 0.3σ and 0.5σ respectively one year after program end. Yet, this only changes teachers' classroom practices in the short-run and does not translate into significant student learnings. The data most closely aligns with a setting where teachers face a dual challenge: introducing new ideas in a rigid environment while navigating the significant learning gaps present among students in later grades. |
| Keywords: | teacher training, teacher content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, randomized controlled trial, El Salvador, development economics |
| JEL: | C93 I21 J24 O15 |
| Date: | 2026–02–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bss:wpaper:51 |
| By: | Livia Alfonsi; Michal Bauer; Julie Chytilova; Edward Miguel |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates whether economic hardship undermines preferences for honesty. We use controlled, high-stake measures of cheating for private benefit in a large sample of 5, 664 Kenyans, exploiting three complementary sources of variation: experimentally manipulated monetary incentives to cheat, a randomized increase in the salience of one’s own financial situation, and the Covid-19 income shock (exploiting randomized survey timing, with respondents interviewed before vs. during the crisis). We find that cheating behavior is highly responsive to financial incentives in the experiment. Covid-19 economic hardship— marked by a 51% drop in monthly earnings—leads to a sharp increase in the prevalence of cheating, and the effect increases gradually with prolonged hardship. The effects are largest among the most economically impacted and are amplified when the salience of one’s own financial situation is experimentally increased. The results demonstrate that while most individuals exhibit a strong preference against cheating under normal conditions (in line with the existing body of work), economic forces can account for a substantial share of variation in dishonesty: the estimated cheating rate rises from 29% under low stakes in normal times to 86% under high stakes during the crisis. |
| Keywords: | Economic hardship, Honesty, Cheating behavior, Field experiment, Kenya |
| JEL: | D91 C93 O12 |
| Date: | 2026–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cer:papers:wp814 |
| By: | Szymczak, Wiebke |
| Abstract: | Agency theory holds that managerial discretion over stakeholder decisions creates agency costs through altruistic redistribution. We test this claim in a principal-agent experiment where agents choose effort and transfers affecting a third party under unenforceable flat-wage contracts. We find that principals set ethically constrained targets and wages that track fairness benchmarks. Agents, however, do not divert resources to stakeholders: transfers are negative on average, and prosocial traits do not increase giving. Instead, contract terms, though unenforceable, systematically shape effort, transfers, and returns. Notably, prosocial agents generate higher total returns. Prosociality appears to mitigate rather than create efficiency losses, suggesting that discretion channels norm-sensitive loyalty rather than stake-holder redistribution. |
| Keywords: | agency theory, behavioral contracts, corporate social responsibility, experimental economics, managerial discretion, prosocial motivation |
| JEL: | C91 D23 D64 G30 M52 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:iwhdps:336907 |
| By: | Shaukat, Mahvish Ifrah; Stegmann, Andreas; Toma, Mattie |
| Abstract: | This paper studies information diffusion in a large organization through a field experiment at the World Bank. The paper focuses on transmission of scientific evidence on the impacts of generative artificial intelligence by experimentally varying whether research findings are shared with senior or junior staff, and varying beliefs about peer adoption and evidence credibility. Providing evidence to senior staff significantly increases transmission and diffusion as measured by engagement with study materials and colleagues’ recall of study details. In contrast, changing beliefs about peer adoption or credibility has no detectable effects. The results highlight the importance of organizational hierarchy in shaping informal information flows. |
| Date: | 2026–02–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:11305 |
| By: | Emily Breza; Kevin Carney; Vijaya Raghavan; Kailash Rajah; Thara Rangaswamy; Gautam Rao; Frank Schilbach; Sobia Shadbar; James Stratton |
| Abstract: | In an RCT with college students in Chennai (N=340), we test how modest financial incentives and personalized feedback affect the uptake and targeting (by symptom severity) of free therapy. Despite 56% of students screening positive for at least mild depression or anxiety, only 3% in the control group took up therapy. A small cash incentive increased appointments by 9 percentage points (p = 0.06) on average without substantially affecting targeting. Personalized feedback and recommendations based on a mental health screening tool significantly improved targeting while keeping overall take-up largely unchanged. Combining these two treatments achieved both higher take-up and improved targeting, by increasing appointments among symptomatic individuals by 21 pp (p |
| JEL: | D03 I1 O10 |
| Date: | 2026–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:34819 |
| By: | Dominik Suri (University of Bonn); Simon Gächter (University of Nottingham); Sebastian Kube (University of Bonn); Johannes Schultz (University of Bonn) |
| Abstract: | Democratic societies depend on citizens following rules even when those rules are set by political opponents. Rising polarization may threaten this behavior. We test the impact of polarization on rule compliance in the United States across three pre-registered waves (May and November 2024; April 2025; n = 8, 340) using the "coins task", which is a non-political, generic rule-following task, where breaking the rule increases payoffs. Participants were randomly assigned to follow rules set by the experimenter, a political co-partisan, a political opponent, or a non-partisan US citizen. Rule compliance ranged from 52.3% to 57.8%, and equivalence testing indicates no meaningful differences across waves or partisan rule-setter identities. However, greater affective distance from partisan rule setters is associated with lower compliance and weaker descriptive and normative beliefs about rule-following. These findings suggest that rule compliance is resilient to the rule-setter's identity. While affective polarization may erode this behavior somewhat, substantial compliance remains: the human tendency to follow rules, even when incentivized to break them, survives the "stress test" of partisan rule-setting in highly polarized times |
| Keywords: | Political polarization, affective polarization, rule-following, coins task, norms, online experiments, political identity, equivalence testing, replication |
| JEL: | C91 D72 D91 Z13 |
| Date: | 2026–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ajk:ajkdps:388 |
| By: | Brückmann, G. PhD (University of Bern); Torné, A.; Trutnevyte, Evelina; Stadelmann-Steffen, Isabelle |
| Abstract: | While climate scientists largely agree that we are in a severe climate crisis, political leaders around the world struggle with the drastic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions that are needed. The literature on public support indicates that this is often due to domestic distributive conflicts over short-term policy costs, especially for market-based policies. This study focuses on two regulation-based policy instruments (an obligation to retrofit building envelopes and a ban on new fossil-fuelled boilers) that target the same level of emissions reductions in the Swiss residential sector, but with different distributions of costs between tenants and homeowners. In a large-scale preregistered survey experiment (n= 1831), conducted in summer 2025, we inform respondents about the effectiveness of these policy instruments to assess public support. We experimentally manipulate whether distributive information (disaggregated by dwelling type (flat or house) and ownership type (owners or renters) is displayed and whether redistributive measures (policy exceptions or targeted subsidies) are included in the policy proposal. The results show that no redistributive measure can recover the drop in public support from providing the information on the policies' distributive effects. Notwithstanding, there is still a majority support for banning fossil-fuel boilers rather than retrofitting building envelopes. Additional subgroup analyses show that homeowners oppose the latter across all experimental conditions, including the control group. This indicates that homeowners are already aware of the costs for building envelope retrofits, before the experimental treatment can make policy costs salient through distributive information. As they are also unlikely to be more supportive when redistributive measures are implemented, a key obstacle persists. |
| Date: | 2026–02–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:bmcjy_v1 |
| By: | Megumi NAOI; Banri ITO; Naoto JINJI |
| Abstract: | We present some of the first evidence on how geopolitics shapes policy preferences of firms from a large-scale firm-level survey and experiment in Japan fielded during Trump’s 2025 tariff negotiations. The experiment varies scenarios of supply-chain disruption of critical goods across different causes (natural disasters vs. geopolitics) and the affected domestic actors (“your firm†vs. “Japanese citizens†) and elicits firms’ preferred policy among diplomatic negotiations, protectionism, and subsidies aimed at promoting diversification and domestic production. We find that geopolitical causes increase support for diplomatic solutions and reduce support for de-risking subsidies relative to the control condition (natural disaster). Contrary to the democratic peace conjecture, businesses support diplomacy regardless of alliance status or whether the disruption originates in the U.S. or China. A small minority (6%) support protectionism, especially when the disruption originates in a non-ally country or China. Overall, Japanese firms are not flag followers. |
| Date: | 2026–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:eti:dpaper:26016 |
| By: | John List |
| Abstract: | In 2019, I put together a summary of data from my field experiments website that pertained to artefactual field experiments. Several people have asked me if I have an update. In this document I update all figures and numbers to show the details for the year 2025. I also include the description from the 2019 paper below. The definition of artefactual field experiments comes originally from Harrison and List (2004) and is advanced in List (2006; 2024; 2026). |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:feb:artefa:00831 |
| By: | John List |
| Abstract: | In 2019 I put together a summary of data from my field experiments website that pertained to framed field experiments (see List 2024; 2026). Several people have asked me if I have an update. In this document I update all figures and numbers to show the details for 2025. I also include the description from the 2019 paper below. |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:feb:framed:00832 |
| By: | John List |
| Abstract: | In 2019, I put together a summary of data from my field experiments website that pertained to natural field experiments (Harrison and List, 2004). Several people have asked me for updates. In this document I update all figures and numbers to show the details for 2025. I also include the description from the original paper below. |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:feb:natura:00833 |
| By: | Gento Kato (School of Political Science and Economics, Meiji University); Yuma Oshida (School of Political Science and Economics, Meiji University); Rikuto Oi (School of Political Science and Economics, Meiji University); Hiroyoshi Shibata (School of Political Science and Economics, Meiji University); Shogo Karube (School of Political Science and Economics, Meiji University) |
| Abstract: | Do democratic voters prioritize civilian control over the arbitrary decisions of the military? Shinomoto (2025) examined this question in Japan through a survey experiment and concluded that average voters lose trust in the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) when the JSDF does not follow the orders of the Japanese Prime Minister. This study revisits this finding by conducting a survey experiment that examines Japanese voters’ trust in both the JSDF and the Japanese Prime Minister under plausible alternative scenarios of the JSDF’s dovish noncompliance with the Prime Minister’s hawkish orders. We find that (1) through its noncompliance, the JSDF loses trust from right-wing voters but gains trust from left-wing voters; and (2) the JSDF’s noncompliance reduces trust in the Prime Minister. The findings imply that Japanese voters’ reactions to failures in civilian control are largely based on personal values rather than a democratic value: they evaluate military noncompliance positively if it aligns with their ideology and lose confidence in their democratically-elected leader if his policies are vetoed by the military. These implications from a country with long-standing skepticism toward the military raise additional concerns about the civil-military relationship in democratic politics. |
| Keywords: | civil–military relations, survey experiment, Japan, democracy |
| Date: | 2026–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wap:wpaper:2530 |
| By: | Jing Cai |
| Abstract: | We introduce experimental variation in the insurance contracts offered to rice farmers in China to study how contract design affects insurance takeup. We compare a single-contract offering with menus that include multiple contracts differing in premiums and payouts. Expanding the contract menu substantially increases take-up, primarily through higher adoption of the basic, lowest-cost contract. Additional experimental variation in relative prices and information provision shows that these effects are driven by context effects arising from relative price comparisons within the menu, rather than information inference. The findings highlight contract menu design as an effective supply-side tool for expanding insurance coverage. |
| JEL: | D1 D14 G22 M31 O16 Q12 |
| Date: | 2026–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:34797 |
| By: | Mathias Celis; Kris Boudt; Mona Bassleer; Wouter Duyck; Stijn Schelfhout; Nicolas Dirix (-) |
| Abstract: | In an online vignette study involving 15, 593 participants, we investigated the effectiveness of various nudging interventions, including defaults, pre-commitment strategies, evaluative labels, social norms, and their combinations, on annuity uptake decisions within the occupational pension scheme. Participants decided how to allocate their pension funds between a lump sum and an annuity using a continuous decision slider, offering a more flexible alternative to traditional binary choices. Our findings revealed a small but statistically significant effect of pre-commitment strategies on annuitization. However, contrary to expectations, all other interventions (defaults, social norms, evaluative labels, and their combinations) showed no significant effect on annuity uptake. Notably, we observed a consistent decision pattern across all conditions. On average, across all conditions, 51.2% of participants opted for less than 5% annuity uptake, 34.5% chose a mix, with a significant peak of 13% at exactly 50% annuity uptake, and 14.3% selected more than 95% annuity. This clustering around round numbers suggests a "round number bias" influenced by the 0–100% continuous scale used, where participants gravitated towards cognitively straightforward, salient options. These findings align with recent debates questioning the general effectiveness of nudging interventions, particularly in complex financial decisions, often involving deeply rooted preferences. The present study highlights the limitations of nudges in shifting behavior as our study also underscores the need for a better understanding of the driving forces behind annuity uptake rationales to effectively influence annuity uptake decisions. |
| Date: | 2026–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:rug:rugwps:26/1134 |
| By: | Carla Coccia; Miriam Prater; Jenny Mosimann |
| Abstract: | When classroom instruction is locked to the curriculum and home support is limited, students with accumulated learning deficits face near-zero marginal returns to instruction. We study two remedial literacy interventions in rural El Salvador using an RCT that randomizes 606 households (with at least one low-performing student) from 26 schools to: (i) five months of twice-weekly, 90-minute small-group pull-out sessions during school hours, or (ii) the same sessions plus a low-cost parental engagement component (WhatsApp messages and three focus meetings), versus control. We estimate small treatment–control differences in literacy endline scores, but these are masked by sizable within-school spillovers: the average control student (22.7% treated peers) gains 0.10–0.14 SD, while the average treated student gains 0.20–0.25 SD relative to low-exposure controls. The parent add-on yields no additional gains and does not increase measured parental engagement. Evidence suggests scope for further gains through higher realized treatment exposure, improved targeting, and more intensive parent-facing designs that translate information into sustained at-home practice. |
| Keywords: | remedial education, randomized controlled trial, El Salvador, development economics |
| JEL: | C93 I21 J24 O15 |
| Date: | 2026–02–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bss:wpaper:52 |
| By: | Abi-Esber, Nicole; Greer, Lindred L.; De Hoogh, Annebel H. B. |
| Abstract: | We introduce the concept of hierarchical adaptability, which we define as a team’s relative capability to repeatedly and bidirectionally shift between different shapes of its influence hierarchy (i.e., more hierarchical or flatter) across tasks, while the team’s formal hierarchy remains constant. We provide a first investigation of the effects of team hierarchical adaptability, proposing that team hierarchical adaptability enables teams to achieve better coordination and team performance outcomes as they move across different tasks, compared to consistently hierarchical or flat teams. Five multimethod studies, including field data of intact teams and a laboratory experiment of interacting teams, provide support for our hypotheses. |
| JEL: | J50 |
| Date: | 2025–12–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:130868 |
| By: | Kevin Boudreau |
| Abstract: | Scientific evaluation and peer review govern the allocation of resources and certification of knowledge in science, yet have been subjected to limited causal investigation. This chapter synthesizes randomized experiments embedded in live peer-evaluation systems at journals, conferences, and funding agencies, restricting attention to published studies. I organize this evidence using a Q–A–R–S framework that decomposes peer review into attributes of submissions (Q), authors (A), reviewers (R), and evaluation systems (S), and interpret outcomes through a view of the core problem of scientific evaluation as assessing new knowledge using the existing stock of knowledge. The chapter treats experimental design choices as objects of analysis, assessing what existing interventions can—and cannot—identify given their designs and settings, the institutional constraints they face, and opportunities for higher-leverage experimentation. I show that randomized experimentation embedded in peer review spans the full Q–A–R–S space, albeit sparsely, and yields uneven but informative insights across different margins. Based on the full body of evidence, I advance several novel claims: (1) system interventions often affect participant behavior with little impact on core evaluative judgments; (2) core evaluations are most clearly shaped by who reviews and their expertise; and (3) peer review functions more reliably as a “filter” of poor submissions than as a fine-grained “ranker” of acceptable submissions. Overall, the evidence points to a functioning institution operating under binding epistemic and organizational constraints, rather than to systemic failure. I identify channels for improving the speed, cost, and reliability of scientific evaluation institutions. Substantial scope remains to redesign embedded experiments to increase inferential power, generalizability, and cumulative insight, while reducing disruption and more tightly linking to institutional innovation and policy changes. |
| JEL: | A14 C93 D02 D83 G18 I23 O31 O38 |
| Date: | 2026–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:34811 |
| By: | Alexander C. Furnas; Ruixue Jia; Margaret E. Roberts; Dashun Wang |
| Abstract: | This study provides evidence that geopolitical considerations systematically shape funding evaluations of international collaboration proposals. We examine this dynamic in the consequential context of U.S.–China collaboration. Across two large-scale randomized experiments with U.S. policymakers and U.S.-based scientists, we find substantial and consistent penalties for proposals involving China-based collaborators. Policymakers express much greater unconditional support for proposals with Germany-based collaborators than for otherwise identical proposals with China-based collaborators (68% vs. 28%). Crucially, this penalty is not confined to policymakers: scientists themselves exhibit a sizeable 18 percentage-point gap (48% vs. 30%), despite professional expectations of merit-based evaluation. Much of the difference reflects a shift from unconditional to conditional approval rather than outright rejection. These penalties are remarkably consistent across scientific fields and respondent characteristics, with little evidence of heterogeneity, indicating that they reflect geopolitical rather than domain-specific concerns. Overall, the findings suggest that geopolitics influences gatekeeping judgments in government funding, with broad implications for peer review, scientific norms, and the future of international collaboration in an era of intensifying geopolitical competition. |
| JEL: | C93 F52 H40 O31 O38 |
| Date: | 2026–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:34789 |
| By: | Oscar Colque Fuentes (Associate Researcher at INESAD); Alejandro Herrera Jimenez (Associate Researcher at INESAD); Beatriz Muriel Hernandez (Executive Director at INESAD) |
| Abstract: | Quinoa production in Bolivia’s southern Altiplano region takes place under some of the most severe agroecological conditions in the Andes. These include extreme altitude, scarce and variable rainfall, frequent frost, strong winds, and, more recently, widespread soil degradation. Organic soil amendments, such as compost, are promoted to restore soil fertility and improve productivity in certified quinoa systems. However, evidence on their effectiveness under real smallholder farming conditions is limited because existing studies often fail to distinguish agronomic potential from realized impacts shaped by environmental and management constraints. This paper addresses this gap by integrating agronomic diagnostics, intervention design, controlled validation, and impact evaluation within a unified framework. First, the study conducts a detailed soil analysis to identify constraints in certified production plots. Next, a compost intervention is designed and validated under controlled conditions to establish agronomic feasibility and potential. Then, a pilot intervention in randomly selected plots estimates the effects of the intervention under real cultivation conditions, including climatic variability, weed pressure, wind exposure, and varied management intensity. The results show that compost application increases quinoa productivity on average, but realized impacts vary with environmental exposure and management practices. Climatic stress, weed competition, wind intensity, and plot’s owner presence influence how much the intervention’s potential translates into observed outcomes. Methodologically, the study shows how combining agronomic validation with causal inference principles improves the interpretation and policy relevance of evidence in high-risk agroecological settings. |
| Keywords: | Quinoa Production, Soil Fertility, Compost Application, Field Experiments, Farm Management, Agroecological Constraints. |
| JEL: | C93 O13 Q12 Q15 |
| Date: | 2025–12 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:adv:wpaper:202512 |
| By: | Albert Tan; Sadegh Shirani; James Nordlund; Mohsen Bayati |
| Abstract: | Estimating total treatment effects in the presence of network interference typically requires knowledge of the underlying interaction structure. However, in many practical settings, network data is either unavailable, incomplete, or measured with substantial error. We demonstrate that causal message passing, a methodology that leverages temporal structure in outcome data rather than network topology, can recover total treatment effects comparable to network-aware approaches. We apply causal message passing to two large-scale field experiments where a recently developed bipartite graph methodology, which requires network knowledge, serves as a benchmark. Despite having no access to the interaction network, causal message passing produces effect estimates that match the network-aware approach in direction across all metrics and in statistical significance for the primary decision metric. Our findings validate the premise of causal message passing: that temporal variation in outcomes can serve as an effective substitute for network observation when estimating spillover effects. This has important practical implications: practitioners facing settings where network data is costly to collect, proprietary, or unreliable can instead exploit the temporal dynamics of their experimental data. |
| Date: | 2026–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2602.04230 |
| By: | Olivier Droulers (CREM - Centre de recherche en économie et management - UNICAEN - Université de Caen Normandie - NU - Normandie Université - UR - Université de Rennes - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique); Arnaud Bigoin Gagnan (ARGUMans - Laboratoire de recherche en gestion Le Mans Université - UM - Le Mans Université); Sophie Lacoste‐badie (LUMEN - Lille University Management Lab - ULR 4999 - Université de Lille) |
| Abstract: | Introduction: The visual design of alcohol beverage packaging plays a crucial role in shaping consumer perceptions and purchase decisions, yet regulations in many countries are relatively lax. Guidelines often focus on the inclusion of health warnings rather than overall label or packaging design, giving producers considerable freedom. In recent years, wine manufacturers have increasingly featured images on their labels that are unrelated to the product, most notably animals such as mammals, birds and insects, a strategy likely intended to exploit attentional bias. The present study examines how such imagery on wine labels influences consumer attention and memorisation. Methods: A within-subject experimental design was conducted with 93 participants, each exposed to two conditions: wine labels that feature either animals or inanimate objects. Attention was measured using an eye-tracking method in a laboratory setting at a French university. Each participant viewed 16 different wine bottles, resulting in 1488 observations. After exposure, label recognition was assessed via a declarative method. Results: Wine labels featuring animals captured attention more rapidly, sustained attention for longer and were better recognised than labels featuring inanimate objects. Discussion and Conclusions: The findings suggest that, beyond mandating health warnings on alcohol packaging, policymakers should consider stricter regulations on the visual content of labels to limit the persuasive power of alcohol marketing. |
| Keywords: | alcohol marketing, attention, memorisation, visual design, wine labels |
| Date: | 2026–01–14 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05494498 |
| By: | Lingatong, Edmar E.; Abrigo, Michael R.M.; Aranzanso, Daryl Jules F.; Berroya, Jenard D.; Daga, Erwin Doroteo Justien C.; Gonzales, Junette Fatima D.; Ignacio, Mary Anne C.; Macaraig, Denzel L.; Pablo, Centene V.; Pineda, Carlo C.; Sister, Johanna Marie Astrid A.; Villasor, Richelle M. |
| Abstract: | Does curriculum change affect teaching practices? This question is investigated in this stidy using a randomized experiment in the Philippines, where a subset of public schools piloted a new basic education curriculum. Through both self-reported surveys and classroom observations, modest changes in teaching practices attributable to the reform are documented, primarily through increased teacher collaboration rather than direct curricular effects. However, mediator analysis reveals that the curriculum's impact on student performance operates predominantly through direct pathways (0.34 SD increase) rather than improved teaching practices. Specific teacher practices, particularly collaboration, assessment and feedback practices, and emphasis on reading literacy, emerged as stronger indicators of classroom teaching proficiency than demographic or contextual factors. These findings suggest that curriculum reform may operate through dual pathways: directly improving student outcomes through better curriculum design while simultaneously building professional capacity through enhanced collaboration. This distinction has important implications for educational reform strategies and professional development policies. Comments to this paper are welcome within 60 days from the date of posting. Email publications@pids.gov.ph. |
| Keywords: | teacher practices, student achievement, experimental design, latent trait theory, mediator analysis |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:phd:dpaper:dp_2025-45 |
| By: | Zercher, Désirée; Jussupow, Ekaterina; Heinzl, Armin |
| Abstract: | Generative AI has advanced capabilities, enabling these systems to participate as teammates in human teams. Yet, the potential consequences of including an AI teammate for team climate have yet to be explored. Thus, we investigate how shared decisional ownership between humans and AI, as well as the perception of AI as a teammate affect team climate (including its subdimensions). We conducted an experiment with 85 participants in 35 teams collaborating with a generative AI teammate on a team decision-making task. We demonstrate that human decisional ownership improves team climate, while AI decisional ownership has a non-significant negative impact. However, when AI is perceived as a teammate, its decisional ownership also enhances team climate. The qualitative analysis provides additional insights into how these perceptions emerge. Our findings provide a nuanced understanding of the mechanisms of team-AI collaboration that shape team climate and offer practical guidance for fostering a positive team climate. |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:dar:wpaper:158981 |
| By: | Daga, Erwin Doroteo Justien C.; Abrigo, Michael R.M.; Lingatong, Edmar E. |
| Abstract: | Teachers in developing countries often face heavy workload demands, yet little is known about how curriculum reforms shape their daily work patterns. This study examines how the revised K to 10 curriculum in selected Philippine public schools affects teacher time allocation, emotional wellbeing, and daily work patterns using data from a randomized controlled trial. We collected detailed time-use diaries from 696 teachers who recorded activities every twenty minutes over a full day, including their emotional states, locations, and social interactions. Reported activities were coded using the International Classification of Activities for Time-Use Statistics (ICATUS) as the initial framework and then refined through a customized coding system tailored to teaching-specific activities. The findings show that teachers in pilot schools spent less time on teaching and reallocated part of this time to lesson preparation and other teaching duties, resulting in a modest reduction in total work hours. Emotional well-being remained stable, with positive moods dominating across all activities. Sleep duration was unaffected, averaging seven hours for both groups. Spillover effects were minimal, as teachers of non-targeted grades maintained similar patterns except for a reduction in administrative tasks that benefited all teachers. These findings suggest that curriculum reform can reduce teaching time without affecting wellbeing, although workload adjustments occur through increased preparation rather than overall time savings. Comments to this paper are welcome within 60 days from the date of posting. Email publications@pids.gov.ph. |
| Keywords: | curriculum reform, teacher workload, teacher wellbeing, time-use analysis, randomized controlled trial, activity coding, permutation test, sleep time, spillover effects |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:phd:dpaper:dp_2025-55 |
| By: | Bossaerts, P. |
| Abstract: | This review summarizes research over the last two decades on human attitudes towards computationally "hard" problems. The focus is on the nature of uncertainty that computational complexity generates because humans do not have the cognitive capacity or the resources (time) to fully resolve the problems they are dealing with. Although decision theorists have traditionally labeled this type of uncertainty as ambiguity, behavior under computational complexity shows that humans neither deal with it as prescribed in rational decision theory nor simply avoid it as in traditional accounts of ambiguity aversion. Instead, behavior (effort applied and performance reached) exhibits distinct features that can be rationalized using the theory of computational complexity, originally developed for electronic computers. Although the theory cannot decisively tell us which problems are most difficult, it does provide classifications that allow one to predict human performance and effort. The theory also identifies which instances of a problem are more difficult, and human performance and effort appear to align with this identification. Evidence is discussed that humans do not appear to allocate cognitive effort ex ante when faced with a "hard" choice. Absence of correlation between early neural signals and ex ante metrics of instance difficulty corroborate this finding. Finally, the heterogeneity in ways humans approach "hard" problems suggests that, collectively, much can be gained from incentive mechanisms that promote communication. Particular market designs appear to be extremely effective in helping participants make "hard" choices. |
| Keywords: | Computational Complexity, NP-Hard, Uncertainty, Ambiguity, Decision-Making, Rationality, Opportunism, Algorithms, Expected Utility, Neuroeconomics, Cognitive Foundations of Decision-Making |
| Date: | 2026–01–31 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cam:camdae:2611 |