The effect of (dis)information on political engagement in Kazakhstan

Last registered on August 16, 2024
View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
The effect of (dis)information on political engagement in Kazakhstan
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0013912
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.

Last updated
August 16, 2024, 4:51 PM EDT

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

Locations

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

Request Information

Primary Investigator

Name
Dina OBrien
Affiliation
University of Toronto
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2024-06-23
End date
2025-06-30
Keywords
Other
Additional Keywords
political beliefs and attitudes, information correction, independent media, social media
JEL code(s)
C93, D72, L82, L86, L88
Secondary IDs
UT-001 Weiss Fund
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
This research studies how correcting disinformation disseminated primarily by the state affects political attitudes and beliefs in an autocratic state. In partnership with an independent media organization, the study randomizes revealing truthful information and pointing out state manipulations using fact-checking services and aims to observe any changes to the support of the autocratic regime and opposing political movements and demand for accountability. Given that prior research finds low demand for truthful information, the study lowers the cost of acquiring truthful information by delivering daily fact-checked messages to the recipient using a dedicated channel on a popular social media platform. The study measures the demand to continue receiving the service and its effect on attitudes and beliefs about the current political state. Findings of this research are important in understanding the determinants of political engagement in settings, where citizens have limited options for political activity in forms other than protests and often opt out of the political process altogether.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
OBrien, Dina. 2024. "The effect of (dis)information on political engagement in Kazakhstan." AEA RCT Registry. August 16. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.13912-2.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
The field experiment includes an intervention that isolates the effects of truthful information in a setting with substantial amounts of disinformation. There is one treatment and one control arm. The control group is exposed to the information they normally consume through the media. The treatment group receives the same new information as the control group plus a fact-checking intervention. The fact-checking intervention consists of a series of fact-based messages sent out daily by the Factcheck journalists. The messages cover various topics related to domestic politics, governance, accountability, and freedoms.
Intervention Start Date
2024-07-01
Intervention End Date
2024-08-11

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Media consumption, beliefs (political beliefs, economic outlook), attitudes (trust in government, if care about honest elections), political behaviours (past actual self-reported behaviours and intended).
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
A sample of 1461 respondents is chosen from the general population aged 18 and above in Kazakhstan who are not yet subscribed to the Factcheck service. The sample is divided into strata based on the chosen language of communication (Kazakh or Russian). Each of the language groups is equally divided between treatment and control. The following covariate variables are collected and considered in the analysis: i) strata fixed effects: language of communication (Kazakh or Russian), and ii) control variables: urbanity, age, gender, region of residence, ethnicity, education, and income level.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Stratified randomization
Randomization Unit
Individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
1461 individuals
Sample size: planned number of observations
1461 individuals
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
731 individuals in treatment and 730 individuals in control
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 Toronto Research Ethics Boards
IRB Approval Date
2023-09-11
IRB Approval Number
Human Protocol 44982
Analysis Plan

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

Request Information