Beliefs, Behavior, and Trusted Social Media Sources

Last registered on April 24, 2020

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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title

Beliefs, Behavior, and Trusted Social Media Sources

RCT ID

AEARCTR-0005761

Initial registration date

April 23, 2020

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published

April 24, 2020, 2:58 PM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Country

Zimbabwe

Region

Primary Investigator

Name

Jeremy Bowles

Affiliation

Harvard University

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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name

Shelley Liu

PI Affiliation

Harvard University

Contact Investigator

PI Name

Horacio Larreguy

PI Affiliation

Harvard University

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Additional Trial Information

Status

On going

Start date

2020-04-10

End date

2020-08-31

Keywords

Governance

Additional Keywords

JEL code(s)

Secondary IDs

Abstract

We examine how information from trusted social media sources can shape beliefs and behaviors when misinformation and mistrust is widespread. In the context of the COVID-19 outbreak in Zimbabwe, we partner with a highly reputable civil society organization to randomize the dissemination of misinformation-targeting messages about the crisis to over 27,000 newsletter subscribers through WhatsApp. We randomize the timing of the message dissemination to evaluate how exposure to these targeted messages affect citizens’ beliefs about how to deal with the crisis and their associated behavior. We also explore how these effects may vary by gender and rurality.

External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation

Bowles, Jeremy, Horacio Larreguy and Shelley Liu. 2020. "Beliefs, Behavior, and Trusted Social Media Sources." AEA RCT Registry. April 24. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.5761-1.0

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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)

In the context of the COVID-19 outbreak in Zimbabwe, we partner with a highly reputable civil society organization to randomize the timing of the dissemination of misinformation-targeting messages about the crisis to over 27,000 newsletter subscribers through WhatsApp.

Intervention Start Date

2020-04-10

Intervention End Date

2020-08-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)

We measure effects on beliefs using a standardized z-score index of responses to factual questions that relate to the message sent in a given week. We measure behavior using a list experiment, since directly asking about preventative measures would not only be likely to induce substantial social desirability bias, but may also force respondents to admit to illegal behavior.

Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)

Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

We randomize lists to different treatment conditions relating to the timing of their exposure to different messages from the CSO.

Experimental Design Details

Randomization Method

Computer-based randomization.

Randomization Unit

Given the CSO’s logistical constraints, the unit of randomization, within a given week, is the WhatsApp broadcast list (n = 133). Aggregating across weeks, the unit of treatment assignment becomes the list-week.

Was the treatment clustered?

Yes