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Registration

Field Before After
Trial Start Date August 20, 2024 February 09, 2025
Trial End Date August 20, 2025 October 02, 2025
Last Published August 28, 2024 02:58 PM January 25, 2025 09:47 AM
Intervention Start Date October 04, 2024 February 09, 2025
Intervention End Date June 20, 2025 July 31, 2025
Randomization Unit Individuals are randomised at the unit of their year of entry and whether they are an undergraduate or postgraduate. Individuals are randomised by subject grouping (e.g. MBAs vs Management Studies Tripos)
Planned Number of Observations 1000 students 800 students
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms ~500 students in treatment, 500 in control. This will be split by cluster. ~400 students in treatment, 400 in control. This will be split by cluster.
Intervention (Hidden) Working with a University of Cambridge college, we randomised students into receiving an email with information on upcoming canteen menus. We are able to match this treatment/control data with students spending in the College Canteen, a popular place for students to eat subsidised meals. We wish to test whether students who receive the additional menu information are more or less likely to visit the canteen, and purchase food, than individuals who do not receive the information. In the absence of the emails, the only way to obtain information on the canteen menu is to visit the canteen. We hypothesise that students who don't receive the email, may visit the canteen and exhibit sunk cost fallacy and purchase canteen food. Whereas, those who receive the email, alter their food decisions in advance and do not exhibit sunk cost fallacy. Working with a University of Cambridge Department, we randomised students into receiving an email with information on upcoming canteen menus. We are able to match this treatment/control data with students spending in the Department Canteen, a popular place for students to eat subsidised meals. We wish to test whether students who receive the additional menu information are more or less likely to visit the canteen, and purchase food, than individuals who do not receive the information. In the absence of the emails, the only way to obtain information on the canteen menu is to visit the canteen. We hypothesise that students who don't receive the email, may visit the canteen and exhibit sunk cost fallacy and purchase canteen food. Whereas, those who receive the email, alter their food decisions in advance and do not exhibit sunk cost fallacy.
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Irbs

Field Before After
IRB Approval Date May 08, 2024 January 20, 2025
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