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on Nudge and Boosting |
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Issue of 2025–03–17
six papers chosen by Marco Novarese, Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale |
| By: | Chlond, Bettina; Goeschl, Timo; Kesternich, Martin; Werthschulte, Madeline |
| Abstract: | Many industrialized countries have recognized the need to mitigate energy cost increases faced by low-income households by fostering the adoption of energy-efficient technologies. How to meet this need is an open question, but "behavioral insights" are likely components of future policy designs. Applying well-established behavioral insights to low-income households raises questions of transportability as they are typically underrepresented in the existing evidence base. We illustrate this problem by conducting a randomized field experiment on scalable, low-cost design elements to improve program take-up in one of the world's largest energy efficiency assistance programs. Observing investment decisions of over 1, 800 low-income households in Germany's "Refrigerator Replacement Program", we find that the transportability problem is real and consequential: First, the most effective policy design would not have been chosen based on existing behavioral insights. Second, design elements favored by these insights either prove ineffective or even backfire, violating 'do no harm' principles of policy advice. Systematic testing remains crucial for addressing the transportability problem, particularly for policies targeting vulnerable groups. |
| Keywords: | Transportability, low-income households, field experiment, randomized controlled trial, governmental welfare programs, energy efficiency, technology adoption |
| JEL: | C93 D91 Q49 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:zewdip:312197 |
| By: | Eßer, Jana; Flörchinger, Daniela; Frondel, Manuel; Sommer, Stephan |
| Abstract: | Cognitive inconsistency, the discrepancy between individuals' behavior and their self-image, can cause the psychological discomfort called cognitive dissonance. In this paper, we investigate whether providing information that enhances the salience of cognitive inconsistency can increase sustainable consumption. Specifically, we analyze whether individuals avoid cognitive inconsistency by (a) a change in behavior to comply with own attitudes and by (b) the denial of attitudes and of knowledge about the criticism of conventional online shopping. To this end, we embed an incentivized discrete-choice task in a large-scale survey conducted in Germany in 2021, with the choice being between a voucher for either a conventional or a sustainable online market place. With our experimental setting, we aim to increase the salience of cognitive inconsistency by either randomly reminding participants of their previously stated attitudes towards sustainable production or by informing them about the typical criticism of conventional online shopping. Our empirical results indicate that individuals adapt their behavior after having received the reminder of their stated attitudes and the criticism about conventional online shopping. Yet, participants do not deceive themselves by aligning their attitudes with their behavior or by denying to have been aware of the criticism. |
| Abstract: | Kognitive Inkonsistenz, d. h. die Diskrepanz zwischen dem Verhalten einer Person und ihrem Selbstbild, kann ein psychologisches Unbehagen hervorrufen, das als kognitive Dissonanz bezeichnet wird. In diesem Beitrag untersuchen wir, ob die Bereitstellung von Informationen, die die Bedeutung kognitiver Inkonsistenz erhöhen, den nachhaltigen Konsum steigern kann. Konkret analysieren wir, ob Individuen kognitive Inkonsistenz vermeiden, indem sie (a) ihr Verhalten ändern, um mit ihren eigenen Einstellungen übereinzustimmen, und (b) indem sie ihre Einstellungen und ihr Wissen über die Kritik am konventionellen Online-Shopping verleugnen. Zu diesem Zweck betten wir eine Discrete-Choice-Aufgabe in eine groß angelegte Befragung in Deutschland aus dem Jahr 2021 ein, bei der die Wahl zwischen einem Gutschein für einen konventionellen oder einen nachhaltigen Online-Marktplatz besteht. Mit unserem experimentellen Setting zielen wir darauf ab, die Salienz der kognitiven Inkonsistenz zu erhöhen, indem wir die Teilnehmenden entweder zufällig an ihre zuvor geäußerten Einstellungen zu nachhaltiger Produktion erinnern oder sie über die typische Kritik am konventionellen Online-Einkauf informieren. Unsere empirischen Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass Personen ihr Verhalten anpassen, nachdem sie an ihre Einstellungen erinnert und über die Kritik am konventionellen Online-Shopping informiert wurden. Die Teilnehmenden täuschen sich jedoch nicht selbst, indem sie ihre Einstellungen mit ihrem Verhalten in Einklang bringen oder leugnen, von der Kritik gewusst zu haben. |
| Keywords: | Behavioral economics, cognitive dissonance, sustainable behavior |
| JEL: | A13 H23 D91 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:rwirep:311295 |
| By: | West, Brady; Zhang, Shiyu; Wagner, James; Gatward, Rebecca; Saw, Htay-Wah; Axinn, William G. |
| Abstract: | In the United States, increasing access to the internet, the increasing costs of large-scale face-to-face data collections, and the general reluctance of the public to participate in intrusive in-person data collections all mean that new approaches to nationally representative surveys are urgently needed. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the need for faster, higher-quality alternatives to face-to-face data collection. These trends place a high priority on the evaluation of innovative web-based data collection methods that are convenient for the U.S. public and yield scientific information of high quality. The web mode is particularly appealing because it is relatively inexpensive, it is logistically flexible to implement, and it affords a high level of privacy and confidentiality when correctly implemented. With this study, we aimed to conduct a methodological evaluation of a sequential mixed-mode web/mail data collection protocol, including modular survey design concepts, which was implemented on a national probability sample in the U.S. in 2020-2021. We implemented randomized experiments to test theoretically-informed hypotheses that 1) the use of mail and increased incentives to follow up with households that did not respond to an invitation to complete a household screening questionnaire online would help to recruit different types of households; and 2) the use of modular survey design, which involves splitting a lengthy self-administered survey up into multiple parts that can be completed at a respondent’s convenience, would improve survey completion rates. We find support for the use of mail and increased incentives to follow up with households that have not responded to a web-based screening questionnaire. We did not find support for the use of modular design in this context. Simple descriptive analyses also suggest that attempted telephone reminders may be helpful for the main survey. |
| Date: | 2023–07–15 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:5hxgm_v1 |
| By: | Seitz, William Hutchins; Yamada, Eiji; Shimizutani, Satoshi |
| Abstract: | This paper studies the effect of proposing a monetary incentive for vaccination intentions, with a survey-based randomized controlled experiment conducted separately in three countries, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. Respondents from nationally representative surveys were randomly assigned to a control group (for which no incentive was proposed) or to one of several treatment groups with varying levels of hypothetical compensation. Offering incentives markedly reduced overall vaccination intentions —all three counties. Country-level results ranged from no meaningful effect on vaccination intentions (Tajikistan) to a decline of up to 22 percent (Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan). In follow-up questions, most respondents said they disapprove of offering financial incentives for vaccination, and especially in contexts with strong negative effects in the experiment. The results contrast with the well-established efficacy of monetary incentives to influence vaccination behavior in other settings, but they are consistent with findings from the behavioral literature in which incentive payments signal inferiority or disutility. The findings suggest that policy makers and practitioners should use caution when considering extrinsic incentives for vaccination and other health interventions where effects have not been tested. |
| Date: | 2023–03–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:10349 |
| By: | Reyes-Retana, Graciela; Pons, Gonzalo Antonio; Siegmann, Katharina; Afif, Zeina; Gomez-Garcia, Margarita; Soto-Mota, Pablo; Castaneda Farill, Carmen Elena |
| Abstract: | Natural resources management (NRM) helps protect forests and promote sustainable development. Although women are key in strengthening activities in NRM, they are dramatically underrepresented in public funding for forest projects in many countries, such as Mexico, limiting their participation and impact. While structural barriers, such as land tenure and low capacity, cause this problem, this is exacerbated by barriers such as lack of information, complex application processess, gender norms, and rural women’s low aspirations and limited agency and self-efficacy to participate in NRM projects. This paper tests whether additions and modifications to the standard outreach strategies of a call for proposals for NRM grants in Mexico increase the number of applications submitted by localities and the share of women participating. The study uses a randomized controlled trial in 113 rural localities, where the standard outreach approach (control) is complemented with additional information channels and simplified materials (treatment 1), aiming to appeal more directly to inexperienced populations. A second treatment group further modifies the informational materials using insights from behavioral science (loss aversion, norms framing, and others) and adds proactive text message reminders to prompt behavior (treatment 2), hoping to address the barriers to women’s participation. The results suggest that treatment 1 localities had, on average, 2.3 more applications per locality than the control group (increasing the participation of both men and women). Treatment 2 complemented this, having, on average, 6.4 more women per locality participating of these applications than in treatment 1. This shows that women manifested interest in participating in these activities. A representative survey of women in the study localities (1, 485 women in 52 localities) suggests that women in treatment localities were more likely to recognize the name of the project or informational materials. The analysis also suggests that the complementary strategies had no effect on the likelihood of being selected to receive a grant under the project, suggesting that additional support is needed to translate this increased interest into successful applications that would allow participation in NRM. |
| Date: | 2023–04–21 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:10419 |
| By: | Balampama, Marianna; De Walque, Damien B. C. M.; Dow, William H.; Hémono, Rebecca |
| Abstract: | Female sex workers are a key population who experience a disproportionately high burden of HIV and sexually transmitted infections. A growing body of evidence suggests that financial incentives can reduce risky sexual behavior and the incidence of HIV and sexually transmitted infections; however, few studies have examined a lottery-based incentive mechanism or been conducted with female sex workers. This paper examines the effect of a lottery intervention on the combined incidence of HIV and herpes simplex virus 2 among female sex workers in Tanzania. The RESPECT II trial was an unmasked, two-arm, parallel group randomized controlled trial conducted in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania among 2, 206 enrollees from 2018 to 2021. Participants were randomized in a one-to-one ratio to the basic test control group or to the lottery intervention group. The basic test group received testing and counseling for HIV and biweekly text messages with information on safe sex practices. The lottery group received the basic test group intervention plus entry into a weekly lottery with a 100, 000 Tanzanian shilling (US$50) reward offered to 10 randomly selected participants, conditional on negative test results for syphilis and trichomonas. The primary outcome was combined HIV and herpes simplex virus 2 incidence after 36 months. The results showed no statistically significant effect on this primary outcome. Thus the study finds no evidence that the lottery-based incentives reduced the incidence of HIV and sexually transmitted infections among the female sex worker population. However, the results may have been affected by disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic, and unexpectedly high study attrition levels made it impossible to statistically rule out possible moderate-sized effects. |
| Date: | 2023–09–25 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:10571 |