Improving News Consumption on Social Media through Nudges

Last registered on April 20, 2023
View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Improving News Consumption on Social Media through Nudges
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0011296
Initial registration date
April 18, 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
April 20, 2023, 2:45 PM EDT

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

Last updated
April 20, 2023, 4:43 PM EDT

Last updated is the most recent time when changes to the trial's registration were published.

Locations

Country
United States of America
Region

Primary Investigator

Name
Ferdous Sardar
Affiliation
Bryant University
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2023-04-18
End date
2023-05-20
Keywords
Behavior
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
D83, D91, L82
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
The growing reliance on social media as the primary source of news has raised concerns about the quality, credibility, and diversity of news content consumed by users. While prior research has focused on the impact of algorithms, political polarization, and misinformation, there is limited evidence regarding the effectiveness of nudges in promoting engagement with original news agencies on social media platforms. In this study, participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: one receiving an email encouraging them to follow original news agencies on social media, and the other receiving the same email with hyperlinks to the news agencies' social media pages. We will test whether these nudges enhance individuals' engagement with original news agencies on social media platforms and if this leads to a more informed audience. This study can provide valuable evidence for policymakers and social media platforms interested in promoting informed news consumption and combating misinformation and filter bubbles.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Sardar, Ferdous. 2023. "Improving News Consumption on Social Media through Nudges." AEA RCT Registry. April 20. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.11296-2.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Emails encouraging them to follow original news agencies on social media.
Intervention Start Date
2023-04-18
Intervention End Date
2023-05-01

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
One of our primary outcome variables is whether participants follow any of the suggested news media outlets on social media platforms.

We will specify various specific outcomes in a pre-analysis plan which we will submit before the endline data collection.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Awareness of recent events.
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups: one receiving an email encouraging them to follow original news agencies on social media, and the other receiving the same email with hyperlinks to the news agencies' social media pages.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Randomization is done using Stata.
Randomization Unit
Individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
No cluster.
Sample size: planned number of observations
~3000
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
Control: ~600
Treatment 1: ~1200
Treatment 2: ~1200
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Bryant University
IRB Approval Date
2023-04-11
IRB Approval Number
2023-0411
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