Attention as a First-Order Barrier to Adoption of Evidence-based Programs

Last registered on January 10, 2025

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Attention as a First-Order Barrier to Adoption of Evidence-based Programs
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0015130
Initial registration date
January 07, 2025

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
January 10, 2025, 1:14 PM EST

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

Locations

Region

Primary Investigator

Affiliation
Aarhus University

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Affiliation
PI Affiliation

Additional Trial Information

Status
Completed
Start date
2022-02-24
End date
2023-09-01
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
Research on organizations’ decisions to adopt evidence-based programs exclusively draws upon self-selected samples. Consequently, research may have overlooked any first-order barriers to program adoption. Using four embedded natural field experiments in a random sample of all public schools in Denmark (N=368), we find that capturing the attention of decision-makers increases the adoption rate of an evidence-based book-reading program from 20\% to 70\%. We replicate the result in a second random sample. Once decision-makers pay attention, their primary interest is the immediate transaction costs, and not---as usually expected---evidence about the long-term benefits of the program.

Registration Citation

Citation
Ahrensberg, Nanna Vestergaard et al. 2025. "Attention as a First-Order Barrier to Adoption of Evidence-based Programs." AEA RCT Registry. January 10. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.15130-1.0
Sponsors & Partners

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

Request Information
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Participants are randomly assigned in a 2x2 experimental design. The conditions vary in terms of:
1) Invitation with focus on transactions costs vs. invitation with focus on client benefits
2) E-mail invitation vs. e-mail invitation + physical sample
Intervention (Hidden)
Intervention Start Date
2022-03-03
Intervention End Date
2023-09-01

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
The primary outcome is whether the organizations sign up for the program or not.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary outcomes are
o whether the organizations logon to a website providing additional information about the trial
o whether the first click on the website concern information on the transaction costs, the running costs, the benefits for employees or benefits for the clients
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Participants are randomly assigned in a 2x2 experimental design. The conditions vary in terms of:
1) Invitation with focus on transactions costs vs. invitation with focus on client benefits
2) E-mail invitation vs. e-mail invitation + physical sample

In addition, we included a waitlist design calling schools in random order that had not signed up.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Randomization done in office by a computer.
Randomization Unit
School principals
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
368 schools in first study. 442 schools in replication study.
Sample size: planned number of observations
368 schools in first study. 442 schools in replication study.
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
368 schools in first study. 442 schools in replication study.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Aarhus Universitets Forskningsetiske Komité (Institutional Review Board)
IRB Approval Date
2021-11-04
IRB Approval Number
2021-99

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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

Request Information

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