Integration of Displaced Populations in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Last registered on February 06, 2024

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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

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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

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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

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

Not available

Randomization Method

Randomization made by the survey software: SoSci.

Randomization Unit

Individual level.

Was the treatment clustered?