The Role of Information in the Willingness to Pay for Clean Air

Last registered on January 23, 2023
View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
The Role of Information in the Willingness to Pay for Clean Air
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0010435
Initial registration date
January 12, 2023

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
January 23, 2023, 7:35 AM EST

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

Locations

Country
United States of America
Region

Primary Investigator

Name
Matthew Tarduno
Affiliation
Harvard University Center for the Environment
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Reed Walker
PI Affiliation
University of California Berkeley
Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2023-01-16
End date
2023-02-15
Keywords
Behavior, Environment & Energy
Additional Keywords
Information Provision, Air Pollution, Willingness to Pay
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
In this paper, we conduct a two-part survey to understand the role of misperceptions in determining willingness to pay for clean air. First, we conduct an incentive-compatible survey experiment to elicit individuals' understanding of environmental quality and how the current research frontier suggests these exposures map into measures of life expectancy. Next, we use a follow-up survey experiment to explore the role of information provision in ameliorating both misperception on average, as well as differences in misperception between racial groups. Finally, we use a real-stakes exercise to test whether respondents' willingness to pay (WTP) for clean air changes when they update their beliefs about air pollution.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Tarduno, Matthew and Reed Walker. 2023. "The Role of Information in the Willingness to Pay for Clean Air." AEA RCT Registry. January 23. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.10435-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
See Analysis Plan.
Intervention Start Date
2023-01-16
Intervention End Date
2023-02-15

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
See Analysis Plan.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
See Analysis Plan.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Computer (Qualtrics)
Randomization Unit
See PAP
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
N/A
Sample size: planned number of observations
5000
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
4 Treatment arms; each roughly 1250 people.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Harvard University-Area Committee on the Use of Human Subjects
IRB Approval Date
2022-11-16
IRB Approval Number
IRB22-1450
Analysis Plan

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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