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on Nudge and Boosting |
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Issue of 2024‒04‒08
four papers chosen by |
| By: | Francisco Gallego; Philip Oreopoulos; Noah Spencer |
| Abstract: | This paper discusses the importance of incorporating personal assistance into interventions aimed at improving long-term education and labor market success. While existing research demonstrates the cost-effectiveness of low-touch behavioral nudges, this paper argues that the dynamic nature of human capital accumulation requires sustained habits over time. To foster better habits, social connections are critical for encouraging enduring effort and intrinsic motivation. The paper showcases examples from various stages of human capital accumulation, including early childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, in which interventions that incorporate personal assistance substantially out-perform less intensive nudges. We underscore the importance of interactive support, guidance, and motivation in facilitating significant progress and explore the challenges associated with implementing cost-effective policies to provide such assistance. |
| Keywords: | behavioral biases, social connections, personal assistance, nudging, education policy |
| Date: | 2023 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ioe:doctra:575&r=nud |
| By: | Martínez Villarreal, Déborah; Díaz, Lina M.; Maldonado, Stanislao |
| Abstract: | This study investigates the effectiveness of dynamic norm nudges in promoting second-dose HPV vaccinations among trendsetters--parents who initiated the first-dose HPV vaccine for their daughters between 2017-2020. Utilizing administrative data from Bogota's Secretariat of Health in a field experiment, we measure the impact of various norm nudges, including trending, qualitative, and quantitative dynamic norms, on actual vaccination rates. Contrary to our hypothesis, dynamic norms alone fail to influence second-dose HPV vaccination rates for these trendsetters. However, the study reveals a 5.22 percent increase attributed to injunctive norms, representing a substantial 34 percent boost compared to the control groups 15.2 percent average. These findings underscore the importance of tailoring nudge strategies to the unique characteristics and preferences of the target population. This research significantly advances our understanding of norm-based interventions' efficacy in influencing minority behaviors, offering valuable insights for developing targeted and impactful public health strategies. |
| Keywords: | nudge;behavioral economics;health;vaccination;HPV;Field experiment;Social norms;Trendsetters |
| JEL: | C93 D91 I10 I12 I15 I18 |
| Date: | 2023–12 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:idb:brikps:13312&r=nud |
| By: | Duryea, Suzanne; Martínez, Claudia; Smith, Raimundo |
| Abstract: | We study the effects of a new 1% employment quota enacted in Chile in 2018 using anonymized administrative data on monthly employer-employee linkages and disability certification records. Our firm-level difference-in-difference results show a 15-20% increase in the number of people with disabilities working in eligible firms after the quota. About a third of the employment effects occur through the relabeling of existing workers as workers with disabilities, and the remainder through new hires. There are no negative effects found for the firms or other workers. We also conducted an experiment in quota-eligible firms to study if firms can be nudged to employ people with disabilities (PwD) by sending letters containing different information. We find that the pure information treatment increased the number of PwD working in the firms and that most of this impact is explained by an increase in the reclassification of incumbent workers. While not transformational for the labor market, inclusion of PwD, quotas and nudges do have an effect. |
| Keywords: | Disability;Disability employment quota;Affirmative ac-tion;Difference-inDifference;RCT |
| JEL: | J14 J71 J78 |
| Date: | 2024–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:idb:brikps:13375&r=nud |
| By: | Hoff, Karla (Columbia University); Demeritt, Allison (University of Washington) |
| Abstract: | Until recently, economics conceived of poverty solely as a lack of material resources. This view likely captures the reality of poverty experienced by many people around the globe. However, two waves of behavioral economics demonstrate that the narrowing of people’s external environments may change people themselves: poverty lowers the quality of decision-making, and poverty and oppression may depress the capacity to aspire. Poverty and a history of oppression also change how individuals are perceived. To overcome these effects may require helping people acquire new mental models. This essay discusses key findings from behavioral economics, the implications for agency, and some interventions with promising outcomes. We hope to inspire scholars and policymakers to think more deeply about the nature of poverty and oppression and to consider policies that target the psychological and sociological factors that create cycles of poverty. |
| Keywords: | psychology of scarcity, culture, cognition, mental models, agency, role models, participatory theater JEL Classification: |
| Date: | 2023 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cge:wacage:695&r=nud |