Post-Secondary Choice and Perceived Returns to Migration: Evidence from An Information Experiment

Last registered on October 19, 2024
View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Post-Secondary Choice and Perceived Returns to Migration: Evidence from An Information Experiment
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0014225
Initial registration date
October 16, 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
October 19, 2024, 9:43 PM EDT

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

Locations

Country
China
Region

Primary Investigator

Name
Aurelia Di
Affiliation
University of Washington
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2025-08-01
End date
2026-08-31
Keywords
Behavior, Education, Gender, Labor, Welfare
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
Residents from low-income regions can find better education, jobs, and social opportunities in wealthier cities. Yet, they might not want to migrate due to pecuniary and non-pecuniary reasons. I am carrying out an RCT with around 1,000 Grade 12 students at one Chinese senior high school. These students, in their final year of secondary education, will soon decide whether and where to pursue undergraduate studies. Despite the low costs associated with relocating for educational purposes, the school’s administrative data indicates that the number of students choosing to relocate remains surprisingly low. My study explores whether and how revealing pecuniary and non-pecuniary returns of migrating in representative regions influences students’ perceived returns to migration, and subsequently affects their migration intentions and actual behaviors.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Di, Aurelia. 2024. "Post-Secondary Choice and Perceived Returns to Migration: Evidence from An Information Experiment ." AEA RCT Registry. October 19. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.14225-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention Start Date
2026-02-01
Intervention End Date
2026-04-30

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
students' test scores, perceived returns to studying/working/living in different locations, and their actual decision to migrate after finishing senior high school.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
educational aspirations, beliefs about gender and ability, attitudes about gender norms.
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
The intervention of this RCT includes three treatment groups and one control group:
T1: Information about the education level, employment rate, annual earnings, and living costs in representative regions in the population.
T2: Information regarding the same aspects in representative regions among women.
T3: Information regarding the same aspects in representative regions among men.
Control: No information is shared.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Randomization done in office by a computer (an online survey platform)
Randomization Unit
individual (students)
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
0
Sample size: planned number of observations
1,000
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
1,000
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 Washington
IRB Approval Date
2024-10-14
IRB Approval Number
STUDY00021100
Analysis Plan

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

Request Information