U.S. Landmark Names Study

Last registered on June 06, 2024
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
U.S. Landmark Names Study
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0011742
Initial registration date
July 07, 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
July 19, 2023, 11:57 AM EDT

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

Last updated
June 06, 2024, 10:34 AM EDT

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

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Name
Gabriella Fleischman
Affiliation
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2023-07-07
End date
2024-12-31
Keywords
Behavior, Other
Additional Keywords
Culture, Native American Policy
JEL code(s)
D91, Z13
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
How does the proliferation of Native American representation impact local culture and attitudes towards Native Americans? Theories of cultural exposure suggest that more interactions with unfamiliar cultures can, under the right conditions, lead to increased tolerance. Existing evidence suggests that, in several contexts, direct contact with diverse people can change people's preferences and beliefs. However, much of the representation of Native American people and culture in the United States has been appropriated by Euro-American people and influences. This project seeks to understand how the presence of Native American representation, and the degree to which the representation is authentic or appropriated, affects attitudes towards and beliefs about Native Americans.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Fleischman, Gabriella. 2024. "U.S. Landmark Names Study." AEA RCT Registry. June 06. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.11742-2.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention Start Date
2023-07-07
Intervention End Date
2024-12-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Surveys 1 and 2: Attitude towards Native American sovereignty; Attitude towards US-Native American treaties; Attitude towards appropriation of Native American representation

Survey 2: Clicking on links for landmark name-change petitions and for information about honor taxes
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
Attitudes towards Native American Sovereignty: sum of six Likert scale questions about support for Native American sovereignty
Attitudes towards US-Native American Treaties: sum of three Likert scale questions about support for the U.S. abiding by treaties with Native American tribes
Attitudes towards appropriation of Native American representation: sum of five Likert scale questions about the acceptability of non-Native people using Native imagery (for example, is it acceptable for a non-Native person to dress as a Native American for Halloween).
Likert scale quantified by: strongly disagree = -2, disagree = -1, neutral = 0, agree = 1, strongly agree = 2

Clicking on links: Respondents will receive information about specific ongoing efforts to change landmark names, and will be provided with links to sign petitions in support of those name changes. Respondents will also receive information about honor taxes, and will be provided links to learn more about how to pay them or set up honor taxes in their area. The outcome will be whether or not they click on the provided links.

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Survey 1: Beliefs about Native American representation in United States government; Beliefs about Native American representation in the U.S. population

Survey 2: Subjective beliefs about socio-economic status and cultural status
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)
Survey 1: Respondents will guess the percentage identifying with racial categories of U.S. citizens, citizens within their own state, representatives in the U.S. Congress, and representatives in their state senate.

Survey 2: Subjective beliefs about status: I will use the MacArthur Scale of Subjective Social Status to understand participants beliefs about their societal rank relative to the people "that have the most money, the highest amount of schooling, and the best jobs" now, and where they believe they will be in 10 years. I will also modify the standard question to understand their beliefs about their cultural status, asking where they believe they rank relative to the people "who receive the most respect and appreciation, whose cultures are the most admired, and who have the most esteemed voices in society" now, and where they believe they will be in 10 years.

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Survey 1: Participants will take a 15-minute survey with an embedded randomization that will place participants into one of three groups. Each group will receive an information and priming treatment. Respondents will first enter demographic information, information about their education and childhood experiences, and answer a few questions that ask their beliefs about the origin of three place names in the United States. After the treatment, respondents will answer questions about their beliefs and views. Participants will: 1) guess the percentage of U.S. and their state populations that identifies in each racial group; and 2) guess the number of representatives in federal and their state government that identify in each racial group. Participants will then answer questions about their support for policies and activism concerning Native Americans, including the use of Native imagery and names in sports team mascots and other forms of representation, support for Native American sovereignty, and support for the U.S. abiding by treaties with Native American tribes.

Survey 2: Participants will take a 15-minute survey with an embedded randomization that will place participants into one of eleven treatment groups. Each group will receive an information and priming treatment. Respondents will first enter demographic information, information about their education and childhood experiences, and answer a few questions that ask their beliefs about the origin of three place names in the United States. After the treatment, participants will answer questions about their support for policies and activism concerning Native Americans, including the use of Native imagery and names in sports team mascots and other forms of representation, support for Native American sovereignty, and support for the U.S. abiding by treaties with Native American tribes.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Randomization embedded in Qualtrics at the start of survey
Randomization Unit
Individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
Survey 1: 1,000 individuals

Survey 2: 480 individuals
Sample size: planned number of observations
Survey 1: 1,000 individuals Survey 2: 480 individuals
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
Survey 1: 333 Control; 333 Treatment 1; 334 Treatment 2

Survey 2: 60 in 3 control conditions; 52-53 in each of the 8 treatment conditions
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Committee on the Use of Human Subjects Harvard University
IRB Approval Date
2023-06-29
IRB Approval Number
IRB22-1682
Analysis Plan

Analysis Plan Documents

US_Landmark_Names_Pilot_PAP.pdf

MD5:

SHA1:

Uploaded At: June 06, 2024