Societal preferences for minimum wage reform: a choice experiment

Last registered on December 07, 2023
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Societal preferences for minimum wage reform: a choice experiment
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0012013
Initial registration date
November 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
November 15, 2023, 12:47 PM EST

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

Last updated
December 07, 2023, 3:50 PM EST

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

Locations

Country
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Region

Primary Investigator

Name
Eleanor Dickens
Affiliation
University of Oxford
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Romuald Meango
PI Affiliation
University of Oxford

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2023-12-08
End date
2023-12-31
Keywords
Labor
Additional Keywords
choice experiment, minimum wage
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
This study aims to explore different ways in which support for reform to the minimum wage changes based on a variety of trade-offs in the labor market and broader economy. By employing a choice experiment, we will investigate societal preferences for minimum wage reform and estimate the willingness to pay. Furthermore, this study will examine whether the willingness-to-pay changes based on a variety of trade-offs in the labor market and broader economy.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Dickens, Eleanor and Romuald Meango. 2023. "Societal preferences for minimum wage reform: a choice experiment." AEA RCT Registry. December 07. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.12013-1.1
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
The intervention is a randomised survey. Respondents are first asked questions about their views on politics, redistribution, and the labour market. The first group is asked questions on their views of how the minimum wage policy is set ("policymaking block"), and then asked to participate in the choice experiment (and follow-up block). The second group is asked to participate in the choice experiment (and follow-up block), and then asked to participate in the policymaking block. Finally, all respondents are asked demographic questions.
Intervention Start Date
2023-12-08
Intervention End Date
2023-12-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Reported valuation of hypothetical increases in the minimum wage and associated trade-offs in the economy. WTP will be calculated for each attribute and compared between attributes if possible. Results will be analysed by group--whether WTP varies based on whether the policymaking block (questions on views of minimum wage policy) are asked before or after the choice experiment. Self-assessed political views, attitude to redistribution, demographics, views and knowledge of economy and labor market, and views on beneficiaries of minimum wage will also be analysed, both on their own and alongside WTP estimates.. Misperception will also be analysed. Respondents will also be classified into social preference archetypes and analysed by type. Results will also be analysed by level of attention and response time to the survey tasks. For example and in-line with current research, based on attention and response time of respondents, the sample may be trimmed for outliers to response time and analysed.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Each person will be randomised into two groups: policymaking block before or after the choice experiment. The policymaking block asks opinions on how the minimum wage policy is and should be set.

The choice experiment is structured as follows: There are 6 attributes, each of which have either four or five levels. The respondents are shown two scenarios at a time (in one choice set) that vary randomly in levels of severity of attributes, and asked to indicate a choice probability between choosing each option. They will be shown 9 choice sets in three blocks. The order of choice sets is randomised within block, as are the order of each option within a choice set. Some choice sets are required while others are presented as a randomised subset. Two additional examples of the same scenario are shown, which serve as comprehension checks.

Finally, respondents are asked to answer question that asks their preference for a minimum wage policy change based on trade-offs for every attribute they have been shown, which vary randomly in levels of severity and redistributional attribute. Respondents see a randomised subset from the pool of possible sliders.

All choices, both in the choice experiment and in all other blocks, have a randomised order (or randomly flipped order) of responses to minimise order bias (where possible).

There are two attention checks near the beginning of the survey. If respondents fail both they are rejected from the study, in-line with survey platform guidelines.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Randomisation done within-survey by Qualtrics.
Randomization Unit
Individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
The treatment is not clustered.
Sample size: planned number of observations
820 respondents
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
410 per 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
University of Oxford, Economics Department’s Research Ethics Committee (DREC
IRB Approval Date
2023-10-03
IRB Approval Number
ECONCIA23-24-01
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