On the Role of Belonging and Significance in Life Outcomes: An Experimental Exploration

Last registered on October 04, 2023
View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
On the Role of Belonging and Significance in Life Outcomes: An Experimental Exploration
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0011842
Initial registration date
September 28, 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
October 04, 2023, 4:41 PM EDT

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

Locations

Country
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Region

Primary Investigator

Name
Isard Dunietz
Affiliation
University of Chicago
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2023-10-02
End date
2023-11-02
Keywords
Behavior
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the importance of non-cognitive skills in shaping critical life outcomes (Borghans et al., 2016). My investigation is centered around a specific non-cognitive skill: an individual's sense of belonging and significance, referred to as 'b & s'. Belonging denotes the subjective sense of connection individuals feel towards their community, social environments, and the wider universe. Significance refers to the subjective feelings of importance, value, and personal relevance. This study aims to quantify the influence of b & s on vital mental health and economic outcomes. The approach involves a survey where individuals are randomly assigned to a control group or one of two distinct treatment conditions designed to increase belonging and significance.

External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Dunietz, Isard. 2023. "On the Role of Belonging and Significance in Life Outcomes: An Experimental Exploration." AEA RCT Registry. October 04. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.11842-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention Start Date
2023-10-02
Intervention End Date
2023-11-02

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Our primary outcome variables are scales of belonging and significance.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Our secondary outcomes are measures of Mental Health and measures of important economic variables. In more detail, we measure Well-Being, malaise, positive and negative affect, trust, productivity, and risk and time preferences.
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
While all treatments aim to amplify both belonging and significance, they differ in the emphasis placed on each. Treatment 1 (T1) is primarily designed to enhance participants' sense of significance, while Treatment 2 (T2) is predominantly designed to boost their sense of belonging. Both treatments guide participants to reflect on their strengths (T1) and connections (T2). Further engagement arises from thought-provoking quotes by notable figures, prompting agreement or disagreement before revealing the authors. Based on individual responses, an adaptive process decides upon open-ended questions to enhance participants' significance (T1) and belonging (T2). To further augment b & s, both treatments conclude by having participants choose values that best describe them while considering their impact on their sense of b & s. The control arm mirrors the structure of the treatments, focusing on benign aspects of participants' perspectives (about numbers' roles in their lives).


Treatment 2 invites participants to reflect on social groups that they feel connected with. They are then tasked to write about the underlying reasons for feeling close. This is followed by the open-ended question prompt of what are two or three actions that they can do to improve on these connections. Treatment 2 concludes with a list of 10 common values and asks the participants to choose the 2 or 3 most important values to them.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
I use the randomization function of Qualtrics.
Randomization Unit
Treatment is randomized at the individual level.
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
Not applicable
Sample size: planned number of observations
1350
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
450
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
University of Chicago IRB
IRB Approval Date
2023-09-28
IRB Approval Number
IRB23-1118
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