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on Experimental Economics |
| By: | Harsh Parikh; Gabriel Levin-Konigsberg; Dominique Perrault-Joncas; Alexander Volfovsky |
| Abstract: | Treatment effects estimated from randomized controlled trials are local not only to the study population but also to the time at which the trial was conducted. We develop a framework for temporal transportation: extrapolating treatment effects to time periods where no experiment was conducted. We target the transported average treatment effect (TATE) and show that under a separable temporal effects assumption, the TATE decomposes into an observed average treatment effect and a temporal ratio. We provide two identification strategies -- one using replicated trials comparing the same treatments at different times, another using common treatment arms observed across time -- and develop doubly robust, semiparametrically efficient estimators for each. Monte Carlo simulations confirm that both estimators achieve nominal coverage, with the common arm strategy yielding substantial efficiency gains when its stronger assumptions hold. We apply our methods to A/B tests from the Upworthy Research Archive, demonstrating that the two strategies exhibit a variance-bias tradeoff: the common arm approach offers greater precision but may incur bias when treatments interact heterogeneously with temporal factors. |
| Date: | 2026–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2603.07018 |
| By: | L. Flóra Drucker (Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf); Dániel Horn (Corvinus University Budapest; ELTE Centre for Economic and Regional Studies); Sára Khayouti (University of Zürich); Hubert János Kiss (ELTE Centre for Economic and Regional Studies; Corvinus University Budapest) |
| Abstract: | We replicate the seminal three-games design introduced by Cox (2004) to disentangle trust and reciprocity from other-regarding preferences in the classic trust game. This study marks the first attempt to replicate these findings using a non-university sample. Our experiment was conducted online via Prolific, with participants based in the United States. In the original study, Cox (2004) found that senders in a treatment where receivers could not send back any money sent less than in the classical trust game, suggesting that sender behavior reflects a combination of other-regarding preferences and trust. This finding replicates in our experiment. However, the second finding does not replicate: receivers who automatically received money from senders did not send back significantly less than those in the classical trust game, where senders actively made the sending decision. Consequently, unlike Cox (2004), we find no clear distinction between other-regarding preferences and reciprocity. |
| Keywords: | trust game; reciprocity; trust; other-regarding preferences; experimental economics; replication |
| JEL: | C91 C93 D64 D03 Z13 |
| Date: | 2026–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:has:discpr:2603 |
| By: | Yoichi SEKI; Yoichi SEKIZAWA; Eiji SHIMIZU |
| Abstract: | Background: Many workers fail to seek medical care or treatment despite experiencing significant anxiety. Such anxiety reduces individual well being and may lower labor productivity, creating economic losses. Easily accessible interventions that reduce anxiety are urgently needed. Intervention: We conducted a randomized controlled trial among workers with high GAD 7 scores to examine whether a web based psychoeducation program using a cognitive behavioral change approach reduces worry. The intervention included relaxation through breathing and imagery, attention training, a “three good things” exercise, and problem solving, delivered weekly for four weeks. The control group also recorded the time and weather online on a weekly basis. Outcomes included PSWQ (primary) and PHQ 9, GAD 7, and WHO HPQ (secondary). Results: Of 516 eligible participants, 355 were analyzed. The intervention group showed significantly greater improvement in PSWQ at week 4, with effects maintained at week 8. No significant differences were found for secondary outcomes. Conclusion: A brief four week web based psychoeducation program may effectively reduce anxiety among workers who suffer from anxiety. |
| Date: | 2026–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:eti:rdpsjp:26017 |
| By: | Samuel Berlinski; Michele Giannola; Alessandro Toppeta |
| Abstract: | We study the relative effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and interaction of family- and school-based learning interventions using a randomized controlled trial in Colombia that assigns children to a parental engagement program, a teacher professional development program, both, or a control group. Both interventions are grounded in a child-centered learning approach that emphasizes active engagement and the progression from informal to formal mathematical understanding. Each intervention independently generates sizable and statistically similar gains in early numeracy (0.17SD and 0.20SD). Combining them produces no additional learning gains, suggesting that the two interventions act as substitutes over the time horizon and skill domain we study. When benefits accruing to future cohorts are taken into account, the teacher development program becomes at least as cost-effective as, and potentially more cost-effective than, the parental engagement intervention. Our results suggest that, in this setting, strategically concentrating resources on a single binding constraint -- either at home or in school -- maximizes the short-run learning gains per dollar spent. |
| Keywords: | families, schools, human capital |
| JEL: | A2 H52 I25 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_12563 |
| By: | Avichai Snir (Bar-Ilan University [Israël]); Dudi Levy (Bar-Ilan University [Israël]); Dian Wang (UTSA Department of Physics and Astronomy [San Antonio] - UTSA - The University of Texas at San Antonio); Haipeng Allan Chen (University of Iowa [Iowa City]); Daniel Levy (RCEA - Rimini Center for Economic Analysis, Emory University [Atlanta, GA], Bar-Ilan University [Israël], International School of Economics at TSU, ICEA - International Centre for Economic Analysis, NBER - National Bureau of Economic Research [New York] - NBER - The National Bureau of Economic Research) |
| Abstract: | We use survey experiments to demonstrate that manipulating participants' perceptions of the context can affect their decisions. We ran three survey experiments in the U.S. and Israel with participants from both economics and non-economics majors. In the experiments, participants face a tradeoff between profit maximization (market norm) and workers' welfare (social norm). Our experimental setup enables us to discriminate between the self-selection and indoctrination effects. Existing studies find that economics and noneconomics students make different choices in such situations, which the studies argue is because of differences in personality traits between economics students and others. While such differences might exist, we argue that context also plays an important role. Using priming to manipulate the context, we demonstrate that when participants receive cues signaling that their decision has an economic context, both economics and non-economics students tend to maximize profits. When participants receive cues emphasizing social norms, on the other hand, both economics and non-economics students are less likely to maximize profits. We find that the role of context in determining behavior is at least as large as the baseline differences between economics and non-economics students. |
| Keywords: | Economists vs. Non-Economists, Behavioral Economics, Market Norms, Social Norms, Self-Selection, Priming, Laboratory Experiments, Experimental Economics, Fairness, Rational Choice, Economic Man, Self-Interest, Indoctrination |
| Date: | 2026–03–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05541678 |
| By: | Guillaume Bied; Philippe Caillou; Bruno Cr\'epon; Christophe Gaillac; Elia P\'erennes; Mich\`ele Sebag |
| Abstract: | Recommendation systems (RSs) are increasingly used to guide job seekers on online platforms, yet the algorithms currently deployed are typically optimized for predictive objectives such as clicks, applications, or hires, rather than job seekers' welfare. We develop a job-search model with an application stage in which the value of a vacancy depends on two dimensions: the utility it delivers to the worker and the probability that an application succeeds. The model implies that welfare-optimal RSs rank vacancies by an expected-surplus index combining both, and shows why rankings based solely on utility, hiring probabilities, or observed application behavior are generically suboptimal, an instance of the inversion problem between behavior and welfare. We test these predictions and quantify their practical importance through two randomized field experiments conducted with the French public employment service. The first experiment, comparing existing algorithms and their combinations, provides behavioral evidence that both dimensions shape application decisions. Guided by the model and these results, the second experiment extends the comparison to an RS designed to approximate the welfare-optimal ranking. The experiments generate exogenous variation in the vacancies shown to job seekers, allowing us to estimate the model, validate its behavioral predictions, and construct a welfare metric. Algorithms informed by the model-implied optimal ranking substantially outperform existing approaches and perform close to the welfare-optimal benchmark. Our results show that embedding predictive tools within a simple job-search framework and combining it with experimental evidence yields recommendation rules with substantial welfare gains in practice. |
| Date: | 2026–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2603.21699 |
| By: | Chowdhury Mohammad Sakib Anwar; Konstantinos Georgalos |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates how natural language communication with an AI agent affects human cooperative behaviour in indefinitely repeated Prisoner's Dilemma games. We conduct a laboratory experiment (n = 126) with two between-subjects treatments varying whether human participants chat with an AI chatbot (GPT-5.2) before every round or only before the first round of each supergame, and benchmark against human-human data from Dvorak and Fehrler (2024) (n = 108). We find four main results. First, cooperation against the AI is high and initially comparable to human-human levels, but unlike in the human-human setting, where cooperation converges to near-complete levels, cooperation against the AI plateaus and never reaches full cooperation. Second, repeated communication, which substantially increases cooperation in human-human interactions, has no detectable effect in the human-AI setting. Third, strategy estimation reveals that human-AI subjects favour Grim Trigger under pre-play communication and remain dispersed under repeated communication, whereas human-human subjects converge to Tit-for-Tat and unconditional cooperation respectively. Fourth, human-AI conversations contain more explicit strategy commitments but fewer emotional and social messages. These results suggest that humans cooperate with AI at high rates but do not develop the trust observed in human-human interactions. Cooperation in the human-AI setting is sustained through conditional rules rather than through the social bonds and mutual understanding that characterise human-human cooperation. |
| Date: | 2026–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2603.15852 |
| By: | Xiaoyue Shan |
| Abstract: | Does group gender diversity benefit individuals? I examine this question with a field experiment randomizing 3, 060 students to small study groups at university entry. Assignment to mixed-gender rather than single-gender groups improves performance and well-being for both men and women: first-year grades increase by about 0.10 SD, well-being by 0.15 SD, and program dropout falls by 6 pp (24%). However, mixed-gender groups also induce more traditional attitudes toward family gender roles. Mechanism analyses suggest that gender diversity fosters collaboration and shifts gender attitudes by reinforcing gendered roles in social interaction: while women coordinate and ask questions, men compete and explain. |
| Keywords: | gender diversity, performance, well-being, gender roles |
| JEL: | C93 D91 I21 I31 J16 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_12565 |
| By: | Lena von Deylen; Erik Wengström; Philipp Christoph Wichardt |
| Abstract: | This paper reports results from a preregistered survey experiment (ca. 2000) designed to test the connection between economic worries and individual attitudes toward migration and universalism. The experiment was conducted in Germany in February 2025, prior to the general elections, at a time when the German economy had been facing difficulties for some some years. Subjects were assigned to one of four treatments -- one neutral baseline and three setting with varying information about the economy and a question about how threatening the subject's perceive this to be (in general and for them personally). The data show that prompting subjects to reflect on their economic concerns increases migration scepticism and tends to reduce universalism compared to a non-economic control treatment. With respect to the current political polarisation and the rise of (anti-immigrant) populist movements, the findings suggest that reported reservations about migration are likely to be at least partly driven by worries and uncertainties in other domains. |
| Keywords: | economic crisis, anxiety, migration, polarisation, political preferences |
| JEL: | D91 O15 Z10 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_12561 |
| By: | Allen IV, James; Gilligan, Daniel O.; Kurdi, Sikandra; Shokry, Nada; Yassa, Basma |
| Abstract: | We examine the nature and scope of gendered work norms in Egypt using new experimental evidence from a household survey. Societal norms around work, care responsibilities and the types of jobs women and men can hold can have a profound effect on gender differences in employment, earnings and life satisfaction. Indeed, while lack of childcare and secure transportation remain widely cited constraints to women’s employment in low-income settings, descriptive and experimental evidence also suggest that deeply rooted social norms about gender roles play a prominent role in driving the persistence of such barriers and in how households evaluate women’s work. Norms emphasizing men as primary breadwinners and women as primary caregivers shape both economic decisions and perceptions of behavior in ways that may limit women’s labor force participation even when opportunities exist. We implement three survey-based experiments among economically disadvantaged households to elucidate these norms and measure their salience. A wage‐comparison choice experiment shows that households strongly prefer that men—not women—take on additional paid work, even when this preference entails substantial forgone income for the household. When offered identical wages for equal hours of work, only 12.4 percent of respondents select the wife to take it as a first part-time job versus the husband taking it as a second part-time job. Even when her wage is double that of her husband, a clear majority still prefer that the husband works instead. These results indicate a large implicit cost that households place on women working outside the household. Two randomized vignette experiments further demonstrate that identical actions are interpreted differently depending on whether they are performed by men or women. Men who take on a second job to support their financially struggling household are widely viewed as more competent and more moral, whereas perceptions of women making the same choice are far more divided. Perceptions of workplace effort are broadly similar across genders, with small differences appearing only in perceptions of morality. Together, these findings emphasize the strength of gendered work norms in Egypt and reveal nuance in how they shape behavior. The findings also underscore the relevance of gender norms for designing programs affecting household work decisions and testing new approaches to promote women’s economic inclusion. |
| Keywords: | gender norms; women; social structure; labour; Egypt; Africa; Northern Africa; Middle East |
| Date: | 2025–12–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:prnote:178587 |
| By: | Karhunen, Hannu; Kauhanen, Antti; Kuhakoski, Jani; Riukula, Krista; Suhonen, Tuomo; Vanhala, Pekka; Virtanen, Hanna |
| Abstract: | Abstract This study evaluated the effectiveness of two different measures in increasing participation in adult education among adults with low educational attainment, using a randomised field experiment. In the first part, an information letter was sent to 50, 000 individuals with only basic education, outlining educational options, the benefits of studying, and available financial support. The results indicated that providing general information alone had no effect on starting studies. In the second experiment, service providers visited SMEs and offered tailored educational guidance, organising 1, 322 information sessions attended by 2, 726 employees. Of these, 1, 718 belonged to the target group, with their highest level of education being comprehensive school or upper secondary school. This more personalised and intensive measure increased participation in upper secondary education within the target group by 0.75 percentage points (approximately 8 percent), but also caused a slight decrease in monthly earnings, suggesting a shift in time allocation between studying and working. The study demonstrates that simply disseminating information is insufficient; effectiveness requires more individualised and costlier actions, the benefits and costs of which must be weighed carefully. |
| Keywords: | Adult education, Low-educated, Information intervention, Field experiment, Lifelong learning |
| JEL: | I21 J24 O15 |
| Date: | 2026–03–16 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:rif:report:174 |
| By: | Noriko NUMATA; Yoichi SEKIZAWA; Yijing BAI; Akari MATSUZAWA; Yoshikazu NODA; Tsubasa SASAKI; Eiji SHIMIZU |
| Abstract: | Objective: This study examined the effectiveness of a digital healthcare intervention based on a cognitive behavioral approach for women suffering from depressive symptoms caused by physical and psychosocial changes associated with menopause. Methods: Women aged 40 to under 60 years were recruited online, and 968 participants who met the eligibility criteria were randomly assigned to an intervention group (n = 488) or a control group (n = 480). For four weeks the intervention group was provided with a self-care application mainly focused on psychoeducation (five days per week). The primary outcome was measured with the “Coping with Menopausal Symptoms Scale.” Secondary outcomes included depressive symptoms (PHQ-9), anxiety symptoms (GAD-7), menopausal symptoms (Simplified Menopausal Index: SMI), and mental well-being (WHO-5). Data were analyzed using a mixed model for repeated measures (MMRM). Results: For the primary outcome, the intervention group did not show a statistically significant improvement compared with the control group. For PHQ-9, GAD-7, and WHO-5 the intervention group showed significant improvements compared with the control group. No significant difference was observed in the SMI between the two groups. Limitations: Only 238 participants (approximately 50%) in the intervention group implemented the intervention, and outcome measures were not collected from participants who did not participate in the intervention. Therefore, the effects of the intervention may have been overestimated. Conclusion: This digital self-care intervention may be effective in improving depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and subjective well-being among perimenopausal and menopausal women. |
| Date: | 2026–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:eti:rdpsjp:26016 |
| By: | Mallory Avery (Department of Economics, Monash University); Edwin Ip (Department of Economics, University of Exeter); Andreas Leibbrandt (Department of Economics, Monash University); Joseph Vecci (Department of Economics, University of Gothenburg) |
| Abstract: | Recent technological advancements are reshaping pathways to employment by automating the interview process. Asynchronous interviews, in which job applicants submit answers to interview questions via an online platform without interacting with an interviewer, are replacing more traditional face-to-face job interviews. At the same time, AI algorithms are now widely used to assess these interview answers. In this paper, we use a field experiment to comprehensively study how these new technologies affect applicants and employers in the recruitment process. Over 3, 000 job applicants are randomized into asynchronous audio or video interviews, live online interviews, and a control group. Their job interviews are then assessed by both professional recruiters and a commercial AI recruitment tool used by most Fortune 100 companies. We find that asynchronous interviews cause an over 50% decrease in application continuation, including among the most qualified applicants, and that this decline is largest for women. A complementary vignette experiment provides evidence that this deterrence is driven by perceptions about the competitiveness and fairness of the recruitment process. In terms of assessments, we find that the AI evaluation tool scores women and underrepresented racial minorities higher than human evaluators, while the opposite is true for men, Whites and Asians. We track our applicants' subsequent labor market outcomes and find that the AI assessment tool predicts subsequent employment success substantially better than human recruiters, suggesting that AI captures soft skills and potential that humans overlook. In addition, we provide evidence that, unlike AI, human recruiters' assessments suffer from multiple cognitive biases. Our findings provide some of the first key evidence on how recent technological advances are transforming the hiring process. |
| Keywords: | technological change, artificial intelligence, gender, field experiment |
| JEL: | C93 J23 J71 J78 |
| Date: | 2026–03–25 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:exe:wpaper:2602 |
| By: | Tjantana Barro (University of Konstanz); Michal Marencak (National Bank of Slovakia); Giang Nghiem (Leibniz University Hannover) |
| Abstract: | We provide causal evidence that the economic framing of a structural policy changes households’ macroeconomic expectations. In a randomized survey experiment in the Bundesbank Online Panel of Households, all participants first read an identical neutral primer about climate policy measures and are then randomly assigned to receive no further text or an additional narrative interpreting the policy primarily as a negative demand or supply shock. Both narratives reduce expected growth. However, only the supply-shock framing raises inflation expectations, while the demand-shock framing does not reduce them—contrary to a simple demand-channel benchmark. These findings suggest that communication that makes different macro channels salient can materially shape expectations, with implications for economic policy communication during structural transitions. |
| JEL: | C33 D84 E31 E52 Q4 |
| Date: | 2026–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:svk:wpaper:1138 |
| By: | Gynelle Sackie-Mensah (Towson University); Luana Firmino (Ground Media); Erin K. Fletcher (Ground Media); Seth R. Gitter (Department of Economics, Towson University) |
| Abstract: | Americans hold contradictory views about transgender people, expressing support for freedom from discrimination in polls yet failing to support the passage of laws protecting those freedoms. This disconnect may be because the majority of Americans do not perceive these inequalities as having an impact. Polls show many Americans do not believe that transgender identity is a true or real identity, which is reinforced by stereotypical and exaggerated representation in media. Furthermore, a majority of Americans report not knowing a transgender person. As such, promoting and reinforcing the idea that transgender identity is real could be a necessary first step to increasing support for transgender rights in the United States. This paper tests whether an audiences’ belief that transgender identity is real can be influenced by an advocacy campaign designed to showcase authentic and joyful stories of transgender people through a randomized experiment of over 31, 000 participants. Roughly two-thirds of the participants were shown a short advocacy video with the other third serving as a control group who watched placebo videos. We show that after watching the video, the treatment group’s belief that transgender identity is real was roughly 5% higher on a 10-point scale than the control group. The measured effect of the videos was of similar magnitude, even for those who believe transgender rights had gone too far or did not know a transgender person. These results suggest that advocacy videos can increase support for transgender rights, even among those who are less likely to support those rights. |
| Keywords: | Transgender identity, Public opinion, Advocacy interventions, Randomized controlled experiment. |
| JEL: | D83 C93 J15 |
| Date: | 2026–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:tow:wpaper:2026-02 |
| By: | Marie Boltz; Monserrat Bustelo; Ana María Díaz; Agustina Suaya |
| Abstract: | We study whether pluralistic ignorance about societal and spousal support for maternal employment sustains gender gaps in women’s labour-market outcomes. Using a representative sample of 1, 732 cohabiting couples with young children in Bogotá, we document near-universal first-order support for working mothers but substantial underestimation of others’ support, especially that of fathers, and frequent misperceptions of the partner’s views. We then implement a randomised information intervention that delivers personalised feedback on prevailing local attitudes toward maternal employment. The intervention narrows key second-order belief gaps about community and spousal support, while leaving first-order attitudes essentially unchanged. Treated men are more likely than control men to nominate their wife rather than themselves for a career-building course. One to two months later, treated women report more intensive job search and treated men place greater weight on work–family balance. Effects are concentrated among women who are already active in the labour market, underscoring both the potential and the limits of norm-correcting information in a context with high support for women’s work but large misperceptions |
| Keywords: | Gender norms, Female Employment, Pluralistic ignorance, RCT. |
| JEL: | J16 J21 D91 C93 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ulp:sbbeta:2026-08 |
| By: | Hirvonen, Kalle; Leight, Jessica; Gilligan, Daniel O.; Mesfin, Hiwot Mekonnen; Mulford, Michael; Tesfaye, Haleluya |
| Abstract: | Multifaceted graduation models are a promising strategy to sustainably reduce poverty, yet evidence on their effects on child undernutrition remains limited. This randomized controlled trial evaluated a nutrition-sensitive graduation model combining village economic and savings associations, peer-led behavior change communication, and maternal cash transfers (and for a subset, lump-sum livelihoods transfers) implemented among ultra-poor households in rural Ethiopia. The model without maternal cash transfers improved maternal nutrition knowledge and financial inclusion but did not generate meaningful changes in children’s diets or growth. Supplementing the pro-gram with maternal cash transfers produced at least moderate improvements in child diet quality, early childhood development, household consumption, and assets. The largest improvements in child growth occurred among households receiving both the livelihoods grant and maternal cash transfers. Overall, the results suggest that coupling behavior change communication and livelihoods support with sufficient financial support is critical for achieving meaningful progress in both economic well-being and child nutrition. |
| Keywords: | models; nutrition; children; livelihoods; poverty; child nutrition; Ethiopia; Africa; Sub-Saharan Africa; Eastern Africa |
| Date: | 2025–12–22 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:gsspwp:179205 |
| By: | Amare, Mulubrhan; Andam, Kwaw S.; Spielman, David J.; Bamiwuye, Temilolu; Nwagboso, Chibuzo; Zambrano, Patricia; Chambers, Judith A. |
| Abstract: | Excessive insecticide use in smallholder agriculture can threaten human health and the environment. We evaluate the effects of receiving a genetically modified cowpea variety that confers resistance to the legume pod borer (Maruca vitrata) using a clustered randomized controlled trial with an encouragement design in Nigeria. We find that farmers who received the pod borer-resistant (PBR) cowpea with complementary inputs significantly reduce insecticide volumes and report fewer days of insecticide-related illness compared to farmers who only received a conventional cowpea variety. Farmers receiving PBR cowpea alone experience smaller, mostly insignificant reductions. To explore heterogeneous responses, we combine ANCOVA (analysis of covariance) interactions with machine learning-based Causal Forest estimates of Conditional Average Treatment Effects (CATEs). Results reveal that smaller, less wealthy, and labor-constrained households experience the largest reductions in insecticide use and health improvements, whereas wealthier farmers or those with higher baseline spraying practices experience lower reductions. Women-managed plots exhibit modestly higher responsiveness. Our findings highlight the importance of moving beyond average effects and seed distribution toward targeted, context-specific interventions that account for behavioral and resource constraints in smallholder farming systems. |
| Keywords: | insecticides; farmers; health; genetically modified foods; cowpeas; randomized controlled trials; machine learning; Nigeria; Western Africa |
| Date: | 2025–12–18 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:179030 |
| By: | Hirvonen, Kalle; Leight, Jessica; Gilligan, Daniel O.; Mesfin, Hiwot Mekonnen; Mulford, Michael; Tesfaye, Haleluya |
| Abstract: | Multifaceted graduation models are a promising strategy to sustainably reduce poverty, yet evidence on their effects on child undernutrition remains limited. This randomized controlled trial evaluated a nutrition-sensitive graduation model combining village economic and savings associations, peer-led behavior change communication, and maternal cash transfers (and for a subset, lump-sum livelihoods transfers) implemented among ultra-poor households in rural Ethiopia. The model without maternal cash transfers improved maternal nutrition knowledge and financial inclusion but did not generate meaningful changes in children’s diets or growth. Supplementing the pro-gram with maternal cash transfers produced at least moderate improvements in child diet quality, early childhood development, household consumption, and assets. The largest improvements in child growth occurred among households receiving both the livelihoods grant and maternal cash transfers. Overall, the results suggest that coupling behavior change communication and livelihoods support with sufficient financial support is critical for achieving meaningful progress in both economic well-being and child nutrition. |
| Keywords: | models; nutrition; children; livelihoods; poverty; child nutrition; Ethiopia; Eastern Africa |
| Date: | 2025–12–22 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:179205 |
| By: | Thomas, Jeffrey; Booth, Jonathan E.; Thompson, Phillip; Bolino, Mark |
| Abstract: | Previous research indicates that employees often believe that it is too risky to voice their concerns about organizational problems; however, prospect theory suggests that people are more willing to take risks when problems are framed in terms of potential losses rather than potential gains. To reconcile these perspectives, we draw on prospect theory and the principle of loss aversion to explain why loss framing (compared to gain framing) will increase employees’ willingness to engage in voice behavior. In Study 1, we used a scenario experiment and found that participants who considered potential losses (compared to gains) after writing about a problem at work were more willing to speak up. Further, integrating prospect theory with the research on other orientation, we extended these findings in Study 2, by hypothesizing an interaction between loss (compared to gain) framing and collective (compared to self) framing. Using experimental vignette methodology, we found the most voice behavior with framing that highlights potential for collective losses. In Study 3, we conducted a multi-wave, multi-source survey study using three organizational samples from different industries – healthcare, consulting, and auditing – and again found that employees were more willing to engage in voice when framing made collective losses salient. Altogether, our three studies integrate prospect theory and research on other orientation to show that framing, particularly in terms of losses and collective outcomes, is an important tool for eliciting employee voice. Theoretical and practical implications of our work, as well as ideas for future research, are also discussed |
| Keywords: | voice; framing; risk; prospect theory; other orientation; collective |
| JEL: | R14 J01 J50 |
| Date: | 2026–03–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:130945 |
| By: | Roberto Brunetti (GATE CNRS, France; Universitè Lumiére Lyon 2, France; Université Jean-Monnet Saint-Etienne, France; Emlyon Business School, France.); Gianluca Grimalda (Passau University, Germany.); Maria Marino (Universitat de Barcelona, Spain.) |
| Abstract: | Despite growing income inequality, demand for redistribution has remained stagnant, which is puzzling for the poor. We investigate whether attitudes toward “trickle-down” economics and fairness affect redistribution demand. We involve US residents from the bottom and top 20% of the income distribution (N = 2, 346) in experimental redistributive decisions from high-income real-life entrepreneurs to low-income recipients. We find that entrepreneurs’ activities possibly generating trickle-down effects, such as employing 1, 000 workers, are irrelevant to redistribution. Conversely, the desire to sanction the “undeserving poor” and, less importantly, to reward the “deserving rich” significantly affect redistribution. High-income and low-income participants’ decisions follow surprisingly similar patterns. |
| Keywords: | Trickle-down; Fairness; Merit; Redistribution. JEL classification: D72; D91; H2; H23; H41. |
| Date: | 2025–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ira:wpaper:202518 |
| By: | Abay, Kibrom A.; Berhane, Guush; Gilligan, Daniel O.; Meles, Tensay H.; Tafere, Kibrom |
| Abstract: | Community-based targeting (CBT), which leverages community leaders to identify eligible beneficiaries, is widely used in social protection programs and development interventions, especially in data-scarce settings. Yet, little is known about how these leaders respond to opportunities for potential resource leakages and elite capture, and whether such behavior is moderated by budget constraints or the level of discretion given to leaders. Similarly, how community leaders involved in CBT aggregate individual preferences into collective decisions remains understudied. We conduct a cluster-randomized experiment in 180 Ethiopian villages to study the effects of incentive structures and discretion on administrative capture—defined as funds retained under the disguise of covering “administrative” costs. Local leaders were tasked with allocating real or hypothetical transfer budgets, with discretion to retain up to 10 percent as “administrative costs”. To uncover decision-making and preference aggregation within CBT committees, we elicited these decisions (proposals to retain a portion of the budget) individually as well as collectively. We find that financial incentives significantly increase administrative (elite) capture, and that capture increases with budget size. Group decisions yield higher appropriation than individual proposals, suggesting implicit collusion rather than prosocial restraint in group-based decisions. Moreover, when real stakes are at play, group outcomes are disproportionately shaped by extreme (outlier) preferences, whereas in hypothetical settings without actual transfers, popular preferences dominate. These findings highlight behavioral mechanisms underlying collective decision-making and administrative capture in CBT, which can inform the design of more accountable CBT systems. |
| Keywords: | social protection; targeting; decision-making; resources; Ethiopia; Africa; Sub-Saharan Africa; Eastern Africa |
| Date: | 2025–12–29 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:gsspwp:179323 |
| By: | Andreas de Barros; Theresa Lubozha |
| Abstract: | Whether targeted foundational instruction yields broad, long-term human capital gains is central to education policy but largely untested. We provide causal evidence from Zambia's government-run foundational skills program in public primary schools. After two years, a randomized trial shows the program increases literacy by 0.10 and numeracy by 0.15 standard deviations. In mathematics, effects on targeted skills are 2.6 times larger than on comprehensive assessments, without detectable transfer to adjacent domains. Adding professional development doubles per-pupil costs without additional learning gains. Despite limited short-run transfer, event-study estimates show positive effects on grade-7 language and mathematics exam scores in early adolescence. |
| Keywords: | field experiment, foundational skills, human capital, long-term effects, skill formation, skill transfer |
| JEL: | C93 H52 I21 I28 J24 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_12542 |
| By: | Laura Padilla-Angulo; Diego Jorrat; Jos\'e-Ignacio Ant\'on; Javier Sierra |
| Abstract: | This paper evaluates the effect of a short, interactive popularisation talk on upper-secondary students' interest in Economics. This contrasts with previous research, which has primarily examined impersonal interventions to boost interest in Economics. The intervention presents Economics as an empirical social science engaged with real-world social problems. Using a cluster-randomised field experiment conducted during secondary-school campus visits in Spain, we find no statistically significant average effect on stated interest in studying Economics. However, the intervention generates substantial heterogeneity: those with stronger altruistic preferences become significantly more likely to express interest after the talk. These findings suggest that informational outreach may shape who perceives the discipline as aligned with their motivations, even if it does not substantially increase overall interest. More broadly, they indicate that presenting Economics as empirical and socially relevant may broaden the profile of those who consider the field. |
| Date: | 2026–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2603.19390 |
| By: | Alexander Erlei; Tahir Abbas; Kilian Bizer; Ujwal Gadiraju |
| Abstract: | Privacy concerns significantly impact AI adoption, yet little is known about how information environments shape user responses to data leak threats. We conducted a 2 x 3 between-subjects experiment (N=610) examining how risk versus ambiguity about privacy leaks affects the adoption of AI personalization. Participants chose between standard and AI-personalized product baskets, with personalization requiring data sharing that could leak to pricing algorithms. Under risk (30% leak probability), we found no difference in AI adoption between privacy-threatening and neutral conditions (ca. 50% adoption). Under ambiguity (10-50% range), privacy threats significantly reduced adoption compared to neutral conditions. This effect holds for sensitive demographic data as well as anonymized preference data. Users systematically over-bid for privacy disclosure labels, suggesting strong demand for transparency institutions. Notably, privacy leak threats did not affect subsequent bargaining behavior with algorithms. Our findings indicate that ambiguity over data leaks, rather than only privacy preferences per se, drives avoidance behavior among users towards personalized AI. |
| Date: | 2026–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2603.08848 |
| By: | Rocco Macchiavello; Andreas Menzel; Atonu Rabbani; Christopher Woodruff |
| Abstract: | Women remain disadvantaged in promotion to managerial positions. We conduct a field experiment with 24 large garment factories in Bangladesh to test for inefficient representation of women among line supervisors. We identify the marginal female and male candidates for supervisory positions and randomly assign them to manage production lines. We document four findings: (1) In contrast to widespread negative beliefs about women’s ability as supervisors at baseline, female candidates selected by the factories had similar skills to males; (2) during the trial, females performed worse than males, which we show is related to negative bias against them; (3) after the trial, however, many female candidates were retained as supervisors and, conditional on that, performed similarly to males; and (4) after the end of our intervention, factories permanently increased the share of women among newly appointed supervisors. A conceptual framework of experimentation over discrimination rationalizes all these facts and cautions against the standard logic to test for discrimination: when there is uncertainty about the performance of the discriminated group, equal – or even worse – performance of the marginal candidates of that group is no longer sufficient to rule out inefficient discrimination. |
| Keywords: | Gender Discrimination, Productivity, Export Manufacturing |
| JEL: | J16 J71 M51 M54 O14 O15 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:csa:wpaper:2026-04 |
| By: | Amare, Mulubrhan; Andam, Kwaw S.; Spielman, David J.; Bamiwuye, Temilolu; Zambrano, Patricia; Chambers, Judith A.; Fasoranti, Adetunji; Popoola, Olufemi |
| Abstract: | We assess the impacts of a genetically modified pod borer-resistant (PBR) cowpea variety in Nigeria through a cluster randomized controlled trial conducted in two major cowpea-cultivating states. Our design allows us to examine the impacts of PBR cowpea with and without a package of complementary inputs (fertilizer and insecticides) and in comparison to farmers who received only a conventional improved cowpea variety. Results indicate that farmers who received and planted PBR cowpea experienced significant increases in yield (21 percent) and net margins (49 percent) compared to those growing the conventional variety, with larger gains observed among those provided with the inputs package. Analysis of heterogeneous effects indicates substantial variation in outcomes based on baseline characteristics such as household size, landholding, pest control practices, and wealth. Estimation of group average treatment effects and classification analysis using a causal machine learning approach identify plot size, pesticide use, and assets as key drivers of impact heterogeneity. Findings highlight the need for targeted dissemination strategies to realize the sizable benefits of PBR cowpea for small-scale, resource-constrained farmers. |
| Keywords: | impact; genetically modified organisms; seed damaging insects; pest resistance; cowpeas; randomized controlled trials; machine learning; smallholders; information dissemination; yields; postharvest losses; profitability; Nigeria; Western Africa |
| Date: | 2025–12–04 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:178553 |
| By: | Cook, Elizabeth A.J.; Ambler, Kate; Hoffmann, Vivian; Otoigo, Lilian Kwamboka; Kiarie, Alice Njoki; Wagner, Julia |
| Abstract: | Weak enforcement of regulatory standards is widespread in low- and middle-income countries. Low firm capacity and standards inappropriate to local contexts imply that traditional punitive enforcement approaches may be counterproductive. We test the impact of a regulatory oversight intervention leveraging the soft power of meat inspectors in the context of 140 rural slaughterhouses in western Kenya. The intervention focused meat inspector attention on hygiene practices and was combined with training of workers and provision of basic equipment and supplies. Practices improved significantly relative to control facilities, but microbial contamination of meat did not. Outcomes were similar in a subset of treatment facilities where workers were additionally given a hygiene performance incentive. Higher volume of business in treatment facilities, which customers perceived as cleaner, suggests that retailers value less contaminated meat, but may counteract the effects of improved practices through cross-contamination and crowding. |
| Keywords: | training; regulations; food safety; monitoring; livestock; meat; abattoirs; workers; meat inspection; meat hygiene; vocational training; Kenya; Eastern Africa |
| Date: | 2025–12–19 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:179188 |
| By: | Luca Di Corato; Federica Esposito; Natalia Montinari |
| Abstract: | Gender quotas remain controversial despite evidence of their effectiveness in reducing labor market gender inequality. We study how informational narratives about quotas affect support, and how effects depend on pre-existing causal beliefs about inequality. In a pre-registered survey experiment with 2, 404 Italian workers and managers, we compare demand-side (discrimination, bias) versus supply-side (participation, confidence, role models) framings. All information increases unincentivized stated support, most strongly under demand-side narratives, but none affects the extensive margin of an incentivized donation, revealing a clear say-do gap. Conditional on donating, however, supply-side framing significantly raises amounts given. Open-ended responses show narratives reshape reasoning primarily among those with diffuse priors (generic cultural explanations). We formalize this in a simple model featuring misalignment costs and tail-driven effects: narrative success depends on the distribution of prior beliefs, which acts as a state variable determining optimal framing across contexts. |
| JEL: | D63 D83 J16 J22 J31 J71 |
| Date: | 2026–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bol:bodewp:wp1220 |
| By: | Martin Huber; Kevin Kloiber; Luk\'a\v{s} Laff\'ers |
| Abstract: | In causal analysis, understanding the causal mechanisms through which an intervention or treatment affects an outcome is often of central interest. We propose a test to evaluate (i) whether the causal effect of a treatment that is randomly assigned conditional on covariates is fully mediated by, or operates exclusively through, observed intermediate outcomes (referred to as mediators or surrogate outcomes), and (ii) whether the various causal mechanisms operating through different mediators are identifiable conditional on covariates. We demonstrate that if both full mediation and identification of causal mechanisms hold, then the conditionally random treatment is conditionally independent of the outcome given the mediators and covariates. Furthermore, we extend our framework to settings with non-randomly assigned treatments. We show that, in this case, full mediation remains testable, while identification of causal mechanisms is no longer guaranteed. We propose a double machine learning framework for implementing the test that can incorporate high-dimensional covariates and is root-n consistent and asymptotically normal under specific regularity conditions. We also present a simulation study demonstrating good finite-sample performance of our method, along with two empirical applications revisiting randomized experiments on maternal mental health and social norms. |
| Date: | 2026–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2603.04109 |
| By: | B. Douglas Bernheim; Aldo Lucia; Kirby Nielsen; Charles D. Sprenger |
| Abstract: | We evaluate three methods for identifying improvable choices: documenting specific misconceptions (the Characterization Assessment method), gauging confidence in choices (the Decision Confidence method), and showing that specific behavioral patterns in the domain of interest also emerge in a related domain where they are objectively suboptimal (the Pattern Matching method). In experiments involving risky choice, the three methods imply that different choices are improvable and have conflicting implications regarding legitimate risk preferences. We clarify the assumptions underlying each method and reevaluate the evidence on risk-taking in light of their limitations. |
| JEL: | D1 D60 D90 D91 |
| Date: | 2026–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:34979 |
| By: | Nandini Maroo; Kavita Vemuri |
| Abstract: | Social relationships are known to shape human behavior, yet when and how social ties influence strategic cognition remains unclear. We adopt a dual-measure approach that combines observed gameplay behavior with elicitation of partner-specific beliefs at each decision point, allowing us to examine how social ties shape both decisions and predictions across interaction structures. Dyads classified as having no ties, weak ties, or strong ties played three canonical economic games: the Dictator Game, Ultimatum Game, and Centipede Game, while also making predictions about their partner's actions. Using a mixed design that held partners constant across games while varying social distance between dyads, we examined how relational proximity affected the alignment between behavior and partner-specific beliefs. Across two norm-saturated games (Dictator and Ultimatum), neither offers nor belief calibration differed reliably by social distance. In contrast, in the sequential Centipede Game, where outcomes depend on anticipating a specific partner's future actions, strong-tie dyads both cooperated longer and expected later termination than no-tie dyads, with beliefs and behavior shifting in parallel. These results indicate that social ties become strategically relevant when the interaction structure makes partner-specific accountability cognitively necessary, but not when behavior is governed primarily by shared norms or institutional constraints. The findings provide a structural account of when relational knowledge enters strategic cognition and help reconcile mixed results in prior work on social distance in economic games. |
| Date: | 2026–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2603.15700 |
| By: | Mahmoud, Mai; Kurdi, Sikandra |
| Abstract: | In-kind food aid programs remain prominent world-wide. Targeting in these programs is complex due to potential distortions in consumption. This paper advances the literature by moving beyond poverty-based targeting to address nutritional objectives. Using data from a randomized controlled trial (RCT), we apply machine learning (ML) techniques to analyze heterogeneity in impacts across nutritional outcomes, aiming to inform targeting based on observable characteristics. We find that such characteristics significantly predict heterogeneity in treatment effects, though relevant predictors differ by outcome and treatment type. Building on recent literature advocating for balancing of deprivation and expected impact, we show that, in our context, the trade-off between targeting the most impacted versus the most deprived households is limited. Instead, the main challenge is prioritizing among competing nutritional objectives. Our findings indicate that ML methods can inform outcome-specific targeting criteria, though these criteria vary across outcomes and are imperfectly correlated. |
| Keywords: | nutrition; econometric models; food aid; machine learning; targeting; Egypt; Africa; Northern Africa |
| Date: | 2025–12–31 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:gsspwp:179370 |
| By: | Nicola Gennaioli; Frederik Schwerter; Guido Tabellini |
| Abstract: | In an online experiment with a representative US sample (N=12, 960) we show that increasing the salience of an economic or cultural conflict without providing any news boosts disagreement on a range of political issues by 8-35%. The data support two key predictions of the Bonomi et al. (2021) identity theory of political beliefs. First, polarization amplifies – through stereotypes – latent disagreement among the economic or cultural groups standing in salient conflict. Second, there is belief realignment away from no-longer salient groups, causing some people to move across the conservative-progressive divide. These results can illuminate real-world political conflicts and propaganda. |
| Keywords: | social identity, stereotypes, belief realignment |
| JEL: | D72 D83 D91 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_12547 |
| By: | Handlné Mérő, Rita; Svraka, András (Tax Policy and Research Unit, Ministry of Finance) |
| Date: | 2025–02–28 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:auo:moftpp:4 |
| By: | Ambler, Kate; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Bloem, Jeffrey R.; Uddin, Mohammad Riad |
| Abstract: | In places such as rural Bangladesh, cash is the dominant medium for payments despite potential benefits of digital payments. We offer survey respondents an incentive-compatible choice for compensation: 200 Taka cash or randomly varied mobile money amounts (200-400 Taka). Only eight percent chose digital payment at parity and respondents exhibit an average willingness-to-pay of 43 percent of the payment value to receive cash payment. This preference persists across demographics, including among mobile money account holders. Within-household analysis reveals that 77 percent of the effect stems from individual-level rather than household-level factors, highlighting the importance of demand-side barriers on digital payments. |
| Keywords: | rural areas; payment agreements; consumer behaviour; smartphones; digital technology; willingness to pay; Bangladesh; Asia; Southern Asia |
| Date: | 2025–12–16 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:gsspwp:178890 |
| By: | Ahmed, Akhter; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Hidrobo, Melissa; Hoddinott, John F.; Rakshit, Deboleena; Roy, Shalini |
| Abstract: | Findings from this study will provide greater insight as to how and why transfer programs have mixed post-intervention effects across different contexts, and how gender and livelihood opportunities may influence these trajectories. These insights will help inform the future design of transfer programs that aim to support sustainable poverty reduction and gender-equitable livelihoods, including to guide modifications tailored to the local context. |
| Keywords: | social protection; cash transfers; food security; evaluation; consumption; livelihoods; food assistance; Bangladesh; Southern Asia; Asia |
| Date: | 2025–12–31 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:prnote:179365 |
| By: | Robert Pickett; Jennifer Hill; Sarah Cowan |
| Abstract: | To estimate the causal effect of an intervention, researchers need to identify a control group that represents what might have happened to the treatment group in the absence of that intervention. This is challenging without a randomized experiment and further complicated when few units (possibly only one) are treated. Nevertheless, when data are available on units over time, synthetic control (SC) methods provide an opportunity to construct a valid comparison by differentially weighting control units that did not receive the treatment so that their resulting pre-treatment trajectory is similar to that of the treated unit. The hope is that this weighted ``pseudo-counterfactual" can serve as a valid counterfactual in the post-treatment time period. Since its origin twenty years ago, SC has been used over 5, 000 times in the literature (Web of Science, December 2025), leading to a proliferation of descriptions of the method and guidance on proper usage that is not always accurate and does not always align with what the original developers appear to have intended. As such, a number of accepted pieces of wisdom have arisen: (1) SC is robust to various implementations; (2) covariates are unnecessary, and (3) pre-treatment prediction error should guide model selection. We describe each in detail and conduct simulations that suggest, both for standard and alternative implementations of SC, that these purported truths are not supported by empirical evidence and thus actually represent misconceptions about best practice. Instead of relying on these misconceptions, we offer practical advice for more cautious implementation and interpretation of results. |
| Date: | 2026–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2603.19211 |
| By: | Kengo IGEI; Hayato UMETANI; Yohei KOBAYASHI; Ryo TAKAHASHI; Makiko NAKAMURO |
| Abstract: | While the importance of Evidence-Based Policy Making (EBPM) is widely recognized, actual policy formation is a complex process involving political and organizational coordination among diverse actors, and evidence does not necessarily affect real-world policy making. Using a conjoint experiment targeting local government officials, this study examines factors influencing policy choices and quantifies how different types of evidence affect decision-making. The results show that the existence of similar programs in neighboring municipalities strongly influences policy selection—in a comparable manner to the opinions of mayors, supervisors, and stakeholders. The study finds an asymmetry in the influence of evidence: while evidence indicating positive effects has a modest positive impact, evidence showing no effects has the strongest negative influence. Evidence from overseas cases exerts smaller effects than that from neighboring municipalities. Moreover, officials with statistical analysis experience and supportive attitudes toward EBPM rely more on rigorous evidence. These findings reveal both the realities and limitations of evidence use in policy processes and highlight challenges shared by evidence users and providers. |
| Date: | 2026–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:eti:rdpsjp:26014 |
| By: | Thomas {\AA}stebro; Frank M. Fossen; C\'edric Gutierrez |
| Abstract: | How do entrepreneurs act on their beliefs when probabilities of outcomes are unknown but subjectively perceived? We theorize that two distinct dimensions of ambiguity attitudes influence entrepreneurial action: ambiguity aversion - the unwillingness to bear ambiguity - and ambiguity sensitivity - how individuals discriminate between different levels of perceived chances of success. The second dimension determines how much entrepreneurs adjust their actions based on new information - a distinct aspect that cannot be captured by ambiguity aversion alone. Our theory suggests that entrepreneurs with different growth orientations have different ambiguity attitudes as compared to employees. Using incentivized measures from a large-scale survey, we find that incorporated entrepreneurs exhibit lower ambiguity aversion than employees, indicating that they are more willing to act under ambiguity. Distinctively, unincorporated self-employed individuals show higher ambiguity sensitivity, indicating that their actions are more responsive to changes in their beliefs. These patterns persist after controlling for risk attitudes, optimism, cognitive ability, and demographics. Our results highlight the distinct impacts of ambiguity aversion and ambiguity sensitivity on entrepreneurial actions. |
| Date: | 2026–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2603.14148 |
| By: | Callen, Michael; Gulzar, Saad; Hasanain, Ali; Khan, Muhammad Yasir; Rezaee, Arman |
| Abstract: | This paper presents evidence that selecting better people to work in government and improving their incentives are complements in improving government effectiveness. To do so, this paper combines a policy that improved incentives for health service delivery in Punjab, Pakistan, with data on health worker personalities. We present three key results. First, government doctors with higher personality scores perform better, even under status quo incentives. Second, health inspectors with higher personality scores exhibit larger treatment responses when incentives are reformed. Last, senior health officials with higher personality scores respond more to data on staff absence by compelling better subsequent attendance. |
| JEL: | H83 I18 J45 D73 |
| Date: | 2025–03–18 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:127766 |
| By: | Eiji Yamamura; Fumio Ohtake |
| Abstract: | This study explored the association between sleep duration and redistribution preferences. Using an online survey, we propose a hypothetical situation in which the tax paid directly by respondents is redistributed to those earning less than one-fifth of the respondents' income. Next, we asked about the allowable tax rates. We found the following through Tobit and ordered logit regression estimations: (1) The relationship between sleep hours and the allowable tax rate showed an inverted U-shape, where the optimal amount of sleep led to the highest allowable tax rate. (2) High-quality sleep was more positively correlated with the allowable tax rate than was low-quality sleep when the sleep quantity was the same. (3) Sleep hours were more significantly and positively correlated with the allowable tax rate in the high-income group than in the low-income group. (4) Assuming that twice the amount of tax paid goes to those with lower income, individuals who previously preferred a higher tax rate were more likely to increase the allowable tax rate. |
| Date: | 2026–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2603.06118 |