Household Behavioral Biases in Heatwave Response

Last registered on July 11, 2025
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Household Behavioral Biases in Heatwave Response
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0016352
Initial registration date
July 08, 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
July 11, 2025, 6:16 AM 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
Wendong Wei
Affiliation
Shanghai Jiao Tong University
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Zhujun Chen
PI Affiliation
Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Contact Investigator
PI Name
Shuo Li
PI Affiliation
The University of Hong Kong
Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2025-07-15
End date
2025-08-31
Keywords
Behavior, Environment & Energy
Additional Keywords
Information provision, Heat exposure, Air conditioning, Behavioral adaptation, Experiment
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
As climate change intensifies, extreme heat events are becoming more frequent and affect public health, social governance, and economic activity. Despite increasing government investment in public cooling infrastructure and heat warnings, the effectiveness of heat adaptation policies may be significantly undermined when individuals lack risk awareness or are misinformed. This study uses an information provision experiment to examine whether correcting misperceptions about energy costs or health risks can shift heat-related behavior. We also explore whether such information affects how individuals evaluate trade-offs between economic burden and health protection. We address these questions by conducting a survey experiment in China. In a between-subjects design, we randomly expose participants to information about the energy cost of air conditioning and/or the health risks of indoor heat exposure.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Chen, Zhujun, Shuo Li and Wendong Wei. 2025. "Household Behavioral Biases in Heatwave Response." AEA RCT Registry. July 11. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.16352-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
We design an information provision experiment. Participants are randomly assigned to one of four groups: a control group with no information, or one of three treatment groups receiving energy cost, health risk, or combined information.
Intervention (Hidden)
Intervention Start Date
2025-07-15
Intervention End Date
2025-08-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
The three main outcomes we will examine are:
(1) Behavioral intentions in response to extreme heat, including willingness to use air conditioning under high temperatures.
(2) Risk and cost perceptions, including perceived health risks of not using air conditioning, perceived economic burden of using it, and beliefs about whether health losses outweigh financial costs.
(3) Beliefs about policy and co-benefits, including agreement with the idea that protecting personal health and addressing climate change can be compatible.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Participants are randomly assigned to four groups:
Group A (Control): Receives no information before answering questions about air conditioning use.
Group B (Cost Treatment): Receives a brief explanation of the actual cost of running an energy-efficient air conditioner, including a breakdown of electricity use and per-night costs based on standard rates.
Group C (Health Treatment): Receives a message describing the physiological harms of prolonged indoor heat exposure, including increased risks of cardiovascular and neurological damage even without subjective discomfort.
Group D (Combined Treatment): Receives both the energy cost and health risk information in an integrated script.
All groups then complete the same questionnaire assessing beliefs and behavioral intentions regarding air conditioner use during extreme heat.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Randomization is conducted at the individual level using pre-generated random lists embedded in survey enumerator instructions.
Randomization Unit
individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
4000 individuals.
Sample size: planned number of observations
4000 individuals (If conditions permit, we will aim to further increase the sample size to enhance statistical power and robustness of the findings).
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
1000 individuals per group (three treatment groups and one control group)
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Institutional Review Board for Human Research Protections of Shanghai Jiao Tong University
IRB Approval Date
2025-05-07
IRB Approval Number
H20250398I
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