Preventing Religious Radicalization: An Experiment with Teenagers in Northern Mozambique

Last registered on July 25, 2025
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Preventing Religious Radicalization: An Experiment with Teenagers in Northern Mozambique
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0015793
Initial registration date
April 11, 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
April 17, 2025, 7:03 AM EDT

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

Last updated
July 25, 2025, 1:55 PM EDT

Last updated is the most recent time when changes to the trial's registration were published.

Locations

Country
Mozambique
Region
Cabo Delgado

Primary Investigator

Name
Pedro Vicente
Affiliation
Universidade Nova de Lisboa
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Flavio Cunha
PI Affiliation
Rice University
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PI Name
Mattia Fracchia
PI Affiliation
IE Business School
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PI Name
Inês Vilela
PI Affiliation
University of London - Royal Holloway
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Additional Trial Information

Status
Completed
Start date
2025-04-18
End date
2025-06-18
Keywords
Crime, Violence, & Conflict
Additional Keywords
Religion, Islamic radicalization, Mozambique, Africa.
JEL code(s)
D74
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
Islamic radicalization is an important correlate of civil conflict around the world. In Northern Mozambique, an Islamist insurgency involved the recruitment of youths who have been radicalized. We study the impact of a training module countering radicalization which targets Muslim teenagers in the city of Pemba. The module, produced and reviewed by Islamic institutions, focuses on the value of tolerance relating to identity, the value of education, and the value of resilience in face of risky propositions. All along contents are related to the scriptures in the Qur’an. We measure short-term impacts through a survey and a set of behavioral measurements. These include views about religion and politics, as well as prosocial behaviors, support for peace, trust, and discrimination.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Cunha, Flavio et al. 2025. "Preventing Religious Radicalization: An Experiment with Teenagers in Northern Mozambique." AEA RCT Registry. July 25. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.15793-1.1
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention (Hidden)
Intervention Start Date
2025-04-18
Intervention End Date
2025-06-18

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Survey outcomes:
Direct adoption of views related to the treatment;
Views about religion;
Views about the community;
Information;
Views about politics;
Stereotypes.

Behavioral outcomes:
Anti-social behavior in the Joy-of-destruction game;
Support for peace;
Coordination game;
Trust game;
Religious salience.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
We will conduct an RCT randomizing a training module at the individual level. Our sample will be composed of 18 and 19-year-old Muslim individuals recruited from their homes in the city of Pemba. The training module, produced and reviewed by Islamic institutions, focuses on the value of tolerance relating to identity, the value of education, and the value of resilience in face of risky propositions. All along contents are related to the scriptures in the Qur’an. We will measure outcomes through implementing (subsequently) a survey and behavioral activities. Approximately two months after the first round of outcome measurement, we will implement a second round through phone calls.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Randomization done by a computer.
Randomization Unit
Individual.
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
No clusters.
Sample size: planned number of observations
500 individuals.
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
250 individuals for treatment and 250 individuals for control.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Nova School of Business and Economics
IRB Approval Date
2022-02-15
IRB Approval Number
202219
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