Statistics and Stories: Shaping Memory

Last registered on July 01, 2024

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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title

Statistics and Stories: Shaping Memory

RCT ID

AEARCTR-0013880

Initial registration date

June 28, 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

July 01, 2024, 12:57 PM EDT

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

Locations

Country

Ghana

Region

Ashanti region

Primary Investigator

Name

Salamatu Nanna Adam

Affiliation

Center for Economic Research and Graduate Education, Economics Institute (CERGE-EI), a joint workplace of Charles University and the Economics Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Politických vězňů 7, 111 21 Prague, Czech Republic

Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

Additional Trial Information

Status

In development

Start date

2024-07-05

End date

2024-08-31

Keywords

Behavior, Gender, Health

Additional Keywords

Memory; Recall; Beliefs; Stories; Statistical Risk Information; Gender

JEL code(s)

Secondary IDs

Prior work

This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.

Abstract

We propose to study how risk information about HIV should be presented in order to maximize its effect on beliefs about HIV for longer periods. In our baseline experiment, we will provide a random sample of participants with quantitative (statistical) risk information about the national new HIV infections and the attendance rates at a local clinic for HIV testing. For the remaining participants, we will complement this statistical information with a story, that is a qualitative narrative explaining how someone overcame the fear and anxiety to get tested after an ex-partner tested positive for HIV. The story also informs the reader about the testing experience at a local clinic. We will give all participants vouchers for HIV tests. This experimental design will allow us to estimate the effect of stories on the evolution of beliefs about HIV. Next, we will estimate the effect of stories on recall of the statistical information received two weeks after information is delivered. Lastly, We will estimate the effect of stories on voucher take-up intentions and actual HIV tests conducted at the clinic.

External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation

Adam, Salamatu Nanna. 2024. "Statistics and Stories: Shaping Memory." AEA RCT Registry. July 01. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.13880-1.0

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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)

Intervention (Hidden)

Intervention Start Date

2024-07-05

Intervention End Date

2024-08-11

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)

Our primary outcomes of interest are (i) incentized posterior beliefs about the percentage of HIV tests conducted at the clinic in the year 2023 recorded both immediately after the main survey and the follow up and (ii) respondents decision to take an HIV test after the survey. After the follow up, respondents will receive a voucher which they can exchange for a free HIV screening at a clinic.

Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)

Our secondary outcomes are HIV test voucher take-up intentions measured both immediately after the main survey and at the follow, and recall rates of information about the 2022 national new HIV infections.

Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

We propose to conduct a field experiment in Ghana with a student sample to study how the presentation of risk information about HIV affects long-term beliefs about the virus. The experiment will consist of two parts.

In the first part, we will provide a random sample of participants with quantitative (statistical) risk information about the number of new HIV infections recorded in Ghana and the attendance rates at a local clinic for HIV testing. For some participants, we will complement this statistical information with a qualitative narrative. This narrative will describe how someone overcame fear and anxiety to get tested after an ex-partner tested positive for HIV and will include details about the testing experience at the clinic. We will vary the narrator's test results (positive or negative) to examine which types of stories are most effective.

Before providing the information treatment, we will record participants' demographic data and elicit their prior beliefs about the number of new HIV infections in Ghana and the percentage of HIV tests conducted at the clinic. After the information treatment, we will measure their posterior beliefs about these metrics again. Additionally, we will offer HIV test vouchers and document participants' intentions to use them.

Two weeks after the first part of the experiment, we will implement the second part. In this phase, we will measure participants' posterior beliefs about the number of new HIV infections in Ghana and the percentage of HIV tests conducted at the clinic again. We will also conduct an incentivized guess and recall task based on the information provided in the first part of the survey. Finally, we will measure HIV test voucher take-up intentions again and distribute HIV test vouchers to all participants.

Experimental Design Details

Randomization Method

Randomization done by Qualtrics

Randomization Unit

Unit of randomization is individual

Was the treatment clustered?

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters

2400 individuals

Sample size: planned number of observations

2400 individuals

Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms

600 individuals in control, 600 individuals in positive story treatment (shown story of someone who tested positive for HIV as well as national new HIV infection rates), 600 individuals in negative story treatment (shown story of someone who tested negative for HIV as well as national new infection rates), 600 individuals in statistics treatment (shown information about the national new infection rates)

Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)

Supporting Documents and Materials

IRB