Integration of Displaced Populations in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Last registered on February 06, 2024
View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Integration of Displaced Populations in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0012952
Initial registration date
February 05, 2024

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
February 06, 2024, 5:28 PM EST

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

Locations

Country
Iraq
Region
Kurdistan

Primary Investigator

Name
Ines Vilela
Affiliation
Royal Holloway, University of London
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Arnaud Chevalier
PI Affiliation
Royal Holloway, University of London; IZA, Bonn; CESIfo, Munich and Vive, Copenhagen
Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2024-02-06
End date
2024-05-31
Keywords
Behavior, Lab, Post-conflict
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
C93, D91
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
Among the challenges faced by communities hosting internally displaced people (IDP) the most important one might be to build trust between IDPs and local population. We investigate how local individuals interact with IDPs, and how these interactions differ according to the cultural distance between local and IDPs, where cultural distance is measured in terms of ethnicity, religion or language. To do so we conduct a field experiment in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. Participants are randomised between a control group, a group primed to increase empathy and a third one primed to view IDPs as contributors to their local communities and play standard economic games with IDPs from different cultural origins.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Chevalier, Arnaud and Ines Vilela. 2024. "Integration of Displaced Populations in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq." AEA RCT Registry. February 06. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.12952-1.0
Sponsors & Partners

There is information in this trial unavailable to the public. Use the button below to request access.

Request Information
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
In this project, we conduct a lab experiment with Kurdish students at the Salahaddin University in Erbil. In the experiment, we will test two different information treatments that can potentially reduce discrimination towards IDPs. The first aims to increase empathy towards IDPs while the second aims to prime students towards successful cases of IDPs contributing to the local economy.
We will measure how the two treatments affect behavioural outcomes such as trust, altruism and social cohesion towards different groups of IDPs using standard games.
Intervention Start Date
2024-02-06
Intervention End Date
2024-05-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
The main outcomes are behavioural data on altruism, trust and social cohesion using standard dictator, cheating, trust and public good games.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
See the file attached for more details.

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Additional outcome variables are survey-based and include perceptions and beliefs towards IDPs (contribution to society, crime, culture life, etc), and favourable attitudes towards more support for IDPs. We will also collect data on proximity (and knowledge) to different IDP groups in terms of religion and language/ethnicity.
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)
See the file attached for more details.

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
We aim to recruit a sample of up to 450 male Kurdish students currently enrolled at Salahaddin University. Students will be recruited by general announcements to the student population with a link to an online recruitment form. Students who meet the recruitment criteria are invited to sessions where the lab experiment is conducted.

Participants will be randomly allocated to one of three groups: i) the control group; ii) the empathy group; iii) the successful contributions group.

The measurement of outcomes will occur immediately after the treatment and will consist of behavioural games played against IDPs from different groups. Followed by a battery of survey questions.
Experimental Design Details
Participants in the lab experiment will be randomly allocated to one of three groups:

i) stories of hardship that IDPs faced in their local communities and during their displacement to Erbil – these IDPs are of a similar age of the Kurdish students and with similar goals empathy. These are expected to affect empathy of participants towards IDPs;
ii) stories of successful IDPs living in Erbil who contribute to the overall community. These are expected to prime participants on the positive integration of IDPs in the host community;
iii) neutral news about events and sports in Erbil.

The main Kurdish sample will play each of the lab games with four partners belonging to the following groups:
a. Local Kurds (similar to the main sample but not in the same session)
b. Displaced Kurds (Kurds born outside of Erbil who had to move during the ISIL conflict to Erbil)
c. Displaced Sunnis (born outside of Erbil who had to move during the ISIL conflict to Erbil, they have the same religion as Kurds but a different language/ethnicity)
d. Displaced Yezidis (born outside of Erbil who had to move during the ISIL conflict to Erbil, they have the same language/ethnicity as Kurds but a different religion)

The order of the lab games and the partners is randomized.

We aim to recruit a sample of up to 450 male Kurdish students currently enrolled at Salahaddin University. Students will be recruited by general announcements to the student population with a link to an online recruitment form. Students who meet the recruitment criteria are then invited to sessions where the lab experiment is conducted.
Randomization Method
Randomization made by the survey software: SoSci.
Randomization Unit
Individual level.
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
450
Sample size: planned number of observations
450
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
150
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials

There is information in this trial unavailable to the public. Use the button below to request access.

Request Information
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Research Ethics Committee at Royal Holloway, University of London
IRB Approval Date
2023-05-05
IRB Approval Number
3687
Analysis Plan

There is information in this trial unavailable to the public. Use the button below to request access.

Request Information

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

There is information in this trial unavailable to the public. Use the button below to request access.

Request Information

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