Paternalistic Preferences Across the World

Last registered on October 31, 2022
View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Paternalistic Preferences Across the World
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0010222
Initial registration date
October 22, 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 31, 2022, 3:25 PM EDT

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

Locations

Country
Norway
Region

Primary Investigator

Name
Henning Hermes
Affiliation
DICE, HHU Duesseldorf
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Björn Bartling
PI Affiliation
University of Zurich
Contact Investigator
PI Name
Alexander W. Cappelen
PI Affiliation
NHH Bergen
Contact Investigator
PI Name
Marit Skivenes
PI Affiliation
University of Bergen
Contact Investigator
PI Name
Bertil Tungodden
PI Affiliation
NHH Bergen
Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2019-01-01
End date
2023-12-31
Keywords
Behavior, Governance, Welfare
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
We conduct a world-wide survey experiment in 60 countries with more than 60’000 participants and implement a between-subject design to measure paternalistic preferences. We collect attitudes towards government interventions and randomly vary the nature of the intervention: either interventions that limit freedom (hard paternalism) or interventions that do not limit freedom (soft paternalism). Furthermore, we complement the general question on government interventions with questions on specific policies to learn about the determinants of policy attitudes. Finally, we measure respondents’ beliefs about the ability of individuals to make good decisions for themselves and confidence in the governments ability to make good decisions for its citizens, as well as the respondents’ perception of their own personal freedom.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Bartling, Björn et al. 2022. "Paternalistic Preferences Across the World." AEA RCT Registry. October 31. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.10222-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
To measure people’s paternalistic preferences, we ask respondents about their support for government interventions. In a between subject design, we vary whether these interventions are “hard,” i.e., limit peoples’ freedom to choose, or “soft,” i.e., influence choices without limiting people’s freedom to choose.
Intervention Start Date
2020-01-01
Intervention End Date
2021-02-28

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Attitudes towards government interventions
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
There are two versions of the question on support for government interventions, and each participant is asked a randomly selected version.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
By a computer
Randomization Unit
Individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
60'000 individuals (i.e., 1'000 per country)
Sample size: planned number of observations
60'000 individuals (i.e., 1'000 per country)
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
30'000 individuals (i.e., 500 per country) in treatment, 30'000 individuals (i.e., 500 per country) in control
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
NHH IRB
IRB Approval Date
2020-06-30
IRB Approval Number
NHH-IRB 13/20
Analysis Plan

There is information in this trial unavailable to the public. Use the button below to request access.

Request Information

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

There is information in this trial unavailable to the public. Use the button below to request access.

Request Information

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