Chains of Kindness?

Last registered on November 15, 2024
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Chains of Kindness?
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0014793
Initial registration date
November 14, 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
November 15, 2024, 2:06 PM EST

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

Locations

Country
Germany
Region

Primary Investigator

Name
Wendelin Schnedler
Affiliation
Paderborn University
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Lena Hortsch
PI Affiliation
Paderborn University
Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2024-11-25
End date
2024-12-09
Keywords
Behavior, Other
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
In an increasingly hectic and stressful world, small acts of kindness are often rare, but they could impact people’s behavior in positive ways that extend far beyond the immediate moment.
This study will explore whether the kindness of cashiers can indirectly influence customers’ donation behavior at the checkout. Over a period of two weeks, customers will be observed at two identical checkout counters at a supermarket, differing only in the cashier’s demeanor—one being friendly and engaging, while the others remain neutral.
By comparing the increase in donation rates at each checkout between periods, we aim to investigate if a cashier’s kindness can encourage customers to act prosocial, even though it is unrelated to their immediate interaction.

External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Hortsch, Lena and Wendelin Schnedler. 2024. "Chains of Kindness?." AEA RCT Registry. November 15. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.14793-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
The experiment has two phases.
In the first phase, we observe at two different checkout lines, whether or not people donate to a good cause.
In the second phase, one cashier is instructed to be particularly kind to customers.
We examine whether the increase (from the first to the second phase) in the share of people donating is larger for this cashier than for others.
Intervention (Hidden)
Intervention Start Date
2024-12-02
Intervention End Date
2024-12-09

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Increase in share of people donating
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Increase in amount donated (donations are measured only on the shift level)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
We will carry out a two phase field experiment in a supermarket. We will look at the behavior of customers at checkouts. At each of these checkouts there will be a donation box from a well-known charity ("Aktion Deutschland hilft"). An original information poster of the charitable organization will be hung on the plexiglass pane (spit protection between cashier and customer). The donation box is opaque and is emptied after every shift.

The two experimental phases differ as follows:
During the first phase, both cashiers under consideration will carry out business as usual when interacting with the customer.
During the second phase, one of the cashiers is instructed to be particularly friendly when interacting with the customer.

We check whether this friendliness spills over to donations by comparing how much more customers donate after having experienced the friendly cashier. Additionally, we count the amount donated after each shift.
Experimental Design Details
The proportion of people who have donated is documented using the surveillance videos above the checkout areas.
All cashiers know about the donation box. Only one cashier and only in the second phase will be asked to interact friendly with the customers.
Each phase lasts 5 days (mon-fri). We observe two parallel-running shifts of 5,5 hours on each day.

Randomization Method
Coin flip
Randomization Unit
Cash register during one shift; the instructed cashier will be randomly allocated to one cash register in each shift.
Was the treatment clustered?
Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
20 clusters with 20 daily shifts in total (2 cashiers x 5 days x 2 phases)
Sample size: planned number of observations
1000 customers (choices): 20 clusters with approx. 50 customers per cluster
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
Approximately half of the observations will fall into the first phase and the other half in the second phase.
Half of the observations will be with two cashiers doing business as usual (first phase) and half with one of two cashiers who is instructed to be friendly (second phase).
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
German Association for Experimental Economic Research e.V.
IRB Approval Date
2024-11-08
IRB Approval Number
D2FDguWi
Analysis Plan

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
No
Data Collection Complete
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials