Primary Outcomes (end points)
We will conduct three survey experiments among Japanese men to study how information provision about the extent of others’ support and managers’ beliefs about the career impacts of paternity leave-taking affects their attitudes and willingness to take-up paternity leave. Our experimental design will allow us to assess the extent to which misperceptions about the extent of support among various groups (e.g., peers vs. managers) contributes to the low level of paternity-leave taking among Japanese men.
The first survey experiment targets a representative sample of married men who are currently employed. Our outcomes of interest include:
(1) Likelihood of encouraging a male friend who is about to have a child to take different durations of paternity/childcare leave within the first year of the child’s birth. Specifically, we will present a hypothetical scenario about a male friend who is similar in age and education and working for a similar type of company and is deciding about whether to take paternity leave. We will then ask participants, “What advice would you give your friend, specifically, what is the percent chance (or chances out of 100) that you would encourage him to take 0 days, < 1 week, 1 to 2 weeks, 2 weeks to 1 month, 1 month to 3 months, > 3 months, of paternity leave.”
Analysis: Comparing this outcome across the control and treatment groups will provide an estimate of the impact of the information treatment on participants’ attitudes toward paternity leave-taking.
(2) For participants who are planning to have a child in the near future, we will ask the likelihood that they will take paternity leave of various durations within the first year of the child’s birth.
Analysis: Comparing this outcome across the control and treatment groups will provide an estimate of the impact of the information treatment on participants’ intended behavior.
(3) Beliefs about the career impacts of taking paternity leave and managers’ support of paternity leave-taking among their subordinates.
Analysis: Comparing these outcomes across the control and treatment groups will provide an estimate of how beliefs update as a result of the information treatment.
The second survey experiment targets a representative sample of married men who expect/plan to have a baby in the next year (the survey company we are working with has access to such a sample of to-be fathers). We will survey this group of married men at least three times, once before they have a child (baseline survey), another time about 1 month later, and another time a year later after they have had a child (follow-up survey). Funds permitting, we will survey them a third time two years later.
The information treatment will be in the form of an animated video, embedded in the baseline survey, that illustrates pluralistic ignorance regarding paternity leave-taking in the workplace and provides numerical information about the extent of peers’ and managers’ support of paternity leave-taking (obtained from a previous representative survey of married men and middle managers. The outcomes of interest will be intended paternity leave-taking behavior, attitudes toward paternity leave-taking, and gender-role attitudes. For the first follow-up survey 2-3 months after the intervention, the outcomes will be similar to the baseline survey and the aim is to see if the effects on intentions and attitudes persist. For the second follow-up survey after the child is born, the main outcome of interest will be participants’ actual (self-reported) leave-taking behavior. To study belief updating, we will also re-ask questions on participants’ beliefs about the extent of others’ support for paternity-leave taking as well as the career impacts of taking paternity-leave.
The third survey experiment is similar to the first survey experiment and targets a similar sample of married men who are currently employed. The main outcomes of interest are similar to the first survey. The main difference is that the treatment groups will be presented with the information intervention in the form of (1) an animated video, along with numerical information, or (2) the numerical information only, about the extent of peers’ and managers’ support for paternity leave-taking, and there will be two control groups (one shown a placebo video and the other not provided with any information). The aim of the third survey is to assess which aspects of the video treatment influences attitudes toward paternity leave-taking. There will be a follow-up survey about 1 month after the initial survey experiment.