Ethnic identity and self-esteem of indigenous children in Mexico

Last registered on May 24, 2023
View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Ethnic identity and self-esteem of indigenous children in Mexico
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0011355
Initial registration date
May 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
May 24, 2023, 4:59 PM EDT

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

Locations

Country
Mexico
Region
Oaxaca

Primary Investigator

Name
Marina Dodlova
Affiliation
University of Passau, CESifo
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Coraima Itzel Hernandez Hernandez
PI Affiliation
University of Passau
Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2023-05-03
End date
2023-05-31
Keywords
Behavior, Other
Additional Keywords
self-esteem, ethnic identity, indigenous children, ethnic preferences, self-identification
JEL code(s)
D90, C93
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
Mexico is a pluricultural country where different ethnic groups coexist. Minority groups such as Afro-Mexican and indigenous communities live in a situation of structural inequality and violence where their basic rights are constantly violated. In this project, we aim to understand whether such unequal attitudes to different ethnic groups in a society lead to any effects already at an early age. The main research question is to investigate the impact of ethnic identity on self-esteem of children in the indigenous communities. The field experiment is conducted in three indigenous communities in Oaxaca, Mexico enrolling a sample of about 450 children. The experiment is inspired by the doll test performed by Mamie P. Clark and Kenneth B. Clark in 1940 but the dolls differ in the style of clothes: indigenous versus modern ones. The accompanying short survey includes additional questions to measure ethnic preferences, ethnic identity and self-esteem. Additional information on the rich history and traditions of the respective community will be presented to the children in the treatment arm. The randomization is done at the individual level within each class. The study aims to provide additional insights on whether ethnic identity might influence self-esteem at an early age in ethnically unequal societies.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Dodlova, Marina and Coraima Itzel Hernandez Hernandez. 2023. "Ethnic identity and self-esteem of indigenous children in Mexico." AEA RCT Registry. May 24. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.11355-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Our intervention targets ethnic identity through information provision. We individually randomize about 450 children in 5 schools in 3 indigenous communities in Oaxaca, Mexico to one of the below arms:
Arm A (Treatment group): Children play a memory game in which additional information on the history, traditions or festivities of their community is provided.
Arm B (Control group): Children play a memory game without learning any information about the history, traditions or festivities of their community.
Intervention Start Date
2023-05-03
Intervention End Date
2023-05-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
self-esteem
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Heterogeneous effects of the informational treatment
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)
We will test for heterogenous effects of the informational treatment for the following:
-gender
-age
-speaking language
-parents' occupation
-family size

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Our intervention targets ethnic identity through information provision. We individually randomize about 450 children in 5 schools in 3 indigenous communities in Oaxaca, Mexico to one of the below arms:
Arm A (Treatment group): Children play a memory game in which additional information on the history, traditions or festivities of their community is incorporated.
Arm B (Control group): Children play a memory game without learning any information about the history, traditions or festivities of their community.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Randomization is done by coin flip within each class
Randomization Unit
Individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
no clusters
Sample size: planned number of observations
450
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
225 children in the control group and 225 children in the treatment group
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
IRB Approval Date
IRB Approval Number
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