Reimagining Peoplehood and Governance: The Role of Historical Dramas in Shaping Public Perceptions of Authoritarianism

Last registered on January 22, 2025

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Reimagining Peoplehood and Governance: The Role of Historical Dramas in Shaping Public Perceptions of Authoritarianism
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0015238
Initial registration date
January 21, 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 22, 2025, 9:22 AM EST

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

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Primary Investigator

Affiliation
北京大学

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Affiliation

Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2024-12-23
End date
2025-04-26
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
Many societies, despite undergoing numerous transformations, exhibit remarkable institutional stability and continuity. This stability is largely rooted in the persistence of people's beliefs. In authoritarian China, most citizens display a high sense of national identity, often prioritizing national stability and unity as paramount values, while citizens in democratic nations typically value personal liberty, equality, and the right to political participation, viewing these as the foundations of an ideal society. A core question arises: What drives the persistence of these societal beliefs over time? In this paper, we propose that television dramas, as a mass communication medium with a long-term presence and wide audience reach, may serve as a key tool in shaping public beliefs in China. Glorifying the autocratic governments of past Chinese dynasties, this subtle yet pervasive messaging may unconsciously influence viewers, increasing their acceptance of authoritarian systems.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Bu, Lingtian and Hanchi Zhao. 2025. "Reimagining Peoplehood and Governance: The Role of Historical Dramas in Shaping Public Perceptions of Authoritarianism." AEA RCT Registry. January 22. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.15238-1.0
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention Start Date
2024-12-30
Intervention End Date
2025-01-26

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Viewers who watch dramas that idealize rulers or portray them as relatable figures exhibit a significant increase in authoritarian approval. In contrast, those who view dramas that objectively expose rulers’ misconduct show a substantial decrease in authoritarian acceptance. Moreover, while films lead to a more immediate but short-lived decline in authoritarian approval, the influence of long-form TV dramas intensify over time, with extended viewing reinforcing attitudes toward authoritarian systems. This highlights the unique power of serialized television as a tool for shaping institutional beliefs.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
To test the hypothesis, we designed a randomized controlled trial using historical television dramas produced by China’s most influential and authoritative media organization—China Central Television (CCTV). In this experiment, over 2,000 Chinese participants were randomly assigned into groups and instructed to watch 1-2 episodes of a designated drama each day over a period of 28 days (4 weeks).
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
randomization done in office by a computer
Randomization Unit
individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
830 Chinese citizens
Sample size: planned number of observations
830 Chinese citizens
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
190 Chinese control, 210 Chinese watch the drama which idealizes the image of the emperor, 210 Chinese watch the drama which provides a balanced depiction of emperor-minister relationships, 110 Chinese watch the film which humanizes the emperor as an ordinary individual, and 110 Chinese watch a series of short videos summarizing key storylines from the drama which idealizes the image of the emperor.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
RUC (Renmin University of China)
IRB Approval Date
2024-05-07
IRB Approval Number
N/A