The Effects of Cities on Psychological and Behavioral Traits

Last registered on January 23, 2023
View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
The Effects of Cities on Psychological and Behavioral Traits
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0010806
Initial registration date
January 23, 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, 7:32 AM EST

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

Locations

Country
Congo (Democratic Republic of the)
Region
Kananga (Kasai)

Primary Investigator

Name
Clara Sievert
Affiliation
Harvard University
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Marina Ngoma
PI Affiliation
Tufts University
PI Name
Nathan Nunn
PI Affiliation
University of British Columbia
PI Name
Jonathan Weigel
PI Affiliation
University of California Berkeley

Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2021-05-01
End date
2024-12-01
Keywords
Behavior
Additional Keywords
Africa, development, cities, religion, psychology
JEL code(s)
P25, Z12, O15, I30, D90, D91
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
As economists have focused on how cities promote economic growth by facilitating knowledge spillovers, human capital accumulation, agglomeration effects, and production technologies with increasing returns to scale, sociologists and anthropologists have highlighted another key impact of cities: their effects on psychological and behavioral traits. However, past work cannot easily distinguish selection from causal effects of cities. This project seeks to provide causal evidence about the impacts of access to cities in rural Africa on individuals' behaviors and psychological traits. We study the randomized rollout of a program promoting urban access in rural villages in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Implemented by a local NGO called Congo Helping Hands (CHH), this `City Access Program' (CAP) provides regular weekly transportation by motorbike taxi to the city of Kananga to individuals living in rural villages surrounding the city. Our project studies the effects of CHH's programs on the psychological traits of its participants.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Ngoma, Marina et al. 2023. "The Effects of Cities on Psychological and Behavioral Traits." AEA RCT Registry. January 23. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.10806-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
See PAP
Intervention (Hidden)
Intervention Start Date
2021-05-01
Intervention End Date
2023-05-01

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
See PAP
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
See PAP
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
See PAP
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
The randomization is done by a computer.
Randomization Unit
The unit of randomization is the village.
Was the treatment clustered?
Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
300 clusters (villages)
Sample size: planned number of observations
1800 main respondents, 6 main respondents per cluster (see PAP)
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
100 villages (clusters) per treatment arm with 6 main respondents in each (see PAP).
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 Institutional Review Board
IRB Approval Date
2021-05-04
IRB Approval Number
IRB20-1918
IRB Name
University of British Columbia Behavioural Research Ethics Board
IRB Approval Date
2022-08-12
IRB Approval Number
H22-01318
IRB Name
London School of Economics Research Ethics Committee
IRB Approval Date
2020-01-24
IRB Approval Number
ref. 1038
Analysis Plan

Analysis Plan Documents

Ngoma_Nunn_Sievert_Weigel_PAP_urbanization and psychology

MD5: b316507d3e66dabb0b6f4bc0eab61138

SHA1: 9d5cb5a7798b2613cdacba9e85eddc94b072048c

Uploaded At: January 20, 2023

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