Financial Strain in Low-Income Families: Evidence from a Field Experiment

Last registered on September 12, 2025
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Financial Strain in Low-Income Families: Evidence from a Field Experiment
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0016767
Initial registration date
September 12, 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
September 12, 2025, 10:50 AM EDT

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

Locations

Country
Denmark
Region

Primary Investigator

Name
Rune Vammen Lesner
Affiliation
VIVE- Danish Center for Social Science Research
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2025-09-23
End date
2025-10-31
Keywords
Health, Welfare
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
We study the psychological consequences of financial strain in low-income families by randomly assigning families to be surveyed either shortly before or shortly after receiving their pay or public transfers.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Lesner, Rune Vammen. 2025. "Financial Strain in Low-Income Families: Evidence from a Field Experiment." AEA RCT Registry. September 12. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.16767-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
The intervention consists of families receiving their pay or public transfers.
Intervention (Hidden)
Intervention Start Date
2025-09-30
Intervention End Date
2025-10-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-4) and well-being (WHO-5)
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Loneliness (UCLA 3-Item Loneliness Scale), received poverty stigma (Poverty Stigma Questionnaire), and deprivations affecting children
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Low-income families are randomly assigned to one of two groups. Group 1 receives a survey one week before receiving their pay or public transfers, while Group 2 receives a survey one week after. Survey responses regarding psychological well-being are then compared between the two groups.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Randomization done in office by a computer.
Randomization Unit
Randomization was performed at the individual level, with participants assigned to one of two groups.
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
None
Sample size: planned number of observations
13,500 individuals will receive the survey, with an expected response rate of 30%, resulting in 4,050 respondents.
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
Individuals are randomized into two equal-sized groups, each containing 6,750 individuals, with an expected 2,025 survey respondents per treatment arm.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
IRB Approval Date
IRB Approval Number
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