Testing response bias on sensitive topics in self- versus enumerator-administered surveys

Last registered on October 17, 2022
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Testing response bias on sensitive topics in self- versus enumerator-administered surveys
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0010062
Initial registration date
September 12, 2022

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
October 17, 2022, 10:55 AM EDT

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

Locations

Country
Colombia
Region
Medellin

Primary Investigator

Name
Christopher Blattman
Affiliation
University of Chicago
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Santiago Tobon
PI Affiliation
EAFIT
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PI Name
Arantxa Rodriguez-Uribe
PI Affiliation
Princeton
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Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2022-09-12
End date
2023-09-30
Keywords
Behavior, Crime, Violence, & Conflict, Education
Additional Keywords
Survey methods
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
Within a survey of adolescent males in Medellin schools (mainly 13-year old boys) we are randomizing whether survey respondents answer sensitive questions themselves or are asked the questions by an enumerator. Questions are of three main varieties: (1) antisocial behaviors, (2) symptoms of depression, and (3) symptoms of anxiety.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Blattman, Christopher, Arantxa Rodriguez-Uribe and Santiago Tobon. 2022. "Testing response bias on sensitive topics in self- versus enumerator-administered surveys." AEA RCT Registry. October 17. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.10062-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
We are randomizing self- versus enumerator-administered questionnaire sections at the individual level.
Intervention Start Date
2022-09-12
Intervention End Date
2022-12-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Our main outcome is the mean difference in survey responses for an average of the three indexes being measured.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
Three survey sections are being tested: (1) antisocial behaviors, (2) depression symptoms, and (3) anxiety symptoms. Each section can be summarized by a single index of survey questions in that section--indexes of antisocial behavior, depression and anxiety. To reduce the number of hypotheses tested, we plan to test the difference by treatment status for an average of these three indexes. We also plan to test the mean difference by treatment status for each of the three indexes, and will report regular standard errors as well as standard errors corrected for three comparisons.

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Survey respondents are individually randomized within the programmed survey to self-administer these sections (on a tablet) or have the enumerator ask these questions.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Computerized prior to survey administration
Randomization Unit
Individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
No clusters
Sample size: planned number of observations
5000-10000 students
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
5000-10000 students
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
University of Chicago
IRB Approval Date
2022-03-02
IRB Approval Number
IRB19-1212-AM009
Analysis Plan

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
No
Data Collection Complete
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials