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Field
Last Published
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Before
May 20, 2026 07:35 AM
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After
June 06, 2026 10:16 AM
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Intervention Start Date
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Before
January 04, 2026
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After
June 07, 2026
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Intervention End Date
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Before
January 21, 2026
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June 24, 2026
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Primary Outcomes (End Points)
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Before
Participants’ choice between the work option and the leisure option on days 16–18
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After
Participants’ daily choices between the work option and the leisure option during the rejection phase (days 5–15) and during the post-restriction phase (days 16–18).
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Primary Outcomes (Explanation)
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Before
The outcome is recorded as a binary variable at the daily level for each participant and can be aggregated at the participant level as the total number of work choices during this period (range: 0–3).
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After
The primary outcome is a binary daily variable indicating whether a participant chose the work option or the leisure option. For some analyses, this measure is aggregated at the participant level as the total number of work choices within a specified study period.
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Experimental Design (Public)
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Before
This study uses a multi-day online experiment in which participants choose daily between a work option and a leisure option. Participants are recruited through the smartphone app Liseli Decision Lab in Zambia and are randomly assigned to one of two treatments.
During the initial part of the study, participants in both treatments can freely choose between the work and leisure options. The key treatment difference occurs after the first four days: in the Control treatment, choices are always implemented as selected, whereas in the Rejection treatment, choices of the work option are frequently not implemented, resulting in participants being assigned to the leisure option instead.
Toward the end of the study, choices are again fully implemented in both treatments. These final days constitute the main outcome period used to compare behaviour across treatments. In addition to daily choices, questionnaires are administered at predefined points during the study.
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After
Describe your experimental designs. The field will be public as soon as the trial is registered. Limit this description to those aspects of your trial that you want to have public before the trial is over.
This study uses a multi-day online experiment in which participants choose daily between a work option and a leisure option. Participants are recruited through the smartphone app Liseli Decision Lab in Zambia and are randomly assigned to one of two treatments.
During the initial part of the study, participants in both treatments can freely choose between the work and leisure options. The key treatment difference occurs after the first four days: in the Control treatment, choices are always implemented as selected, whereas in the Rejection treatment, choices of the work option are frequently not implemented, resulting in participants being assigned to the leisure option instead. Participants' choices during this phase can be analysed and compared between the treatments.
Toward the end of the study, choices are again fully implemented in both treatments, making it possible to analyse whether repeated restrictions on access to work have lasting effects on participants' willingness to choose the work option after the restriction falls. Additionally, participants complete questionnaires measuring motivation, learned helplessness, and habit formation to help identify mechanisms underlying these effects.
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Randomization Method
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Before
Randomization is conducted at the individual level using a random number generator implemented in Microsoft Excel. Each participant who is allowed to proceed with the study after day 4 (has missed no more than one day so far) is assigned a random number between 1 and 100. Assignment to the Control or Rejection treatment is based on whether this number falls above or below a predefined cutoff.
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After
Randomization is conducted at the individual level using a random number generator implemented in Microsoft Excel. Each participant who completed the study on day 4 is assigned a random number between 1 and 100. Participants with a number of 50 or below are assigned to Control, and those with a number above 50 are assigned to Rejection.
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Planned Number of Observations
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Before
300 participants who complete the study (after application of the exclusion criteria) are targeted.
Pilot evidence indicates that not all participants who register one week before the start of the study actually begin participation or remain until completion.
Accordingly, approximately 430 participants are initially recruited to account for expected non-start and attrition. As a result, depending on realized participation, attrition, and the pre-specified exclusion criteria, the final analytic sample may be smaller or larger than 300.
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After
100 participants who complete the study are targeted. Data collection of the first wave indicates that not all participants who register one week before the start of the study actually begin participa-tion or remain until completion.
Accordingly, approximately 440 participants are initially recruited to account for expected non-start and attrition. As a result, depending on realized participation and attrition the final analytic sample may be smaller or larger than 100.
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Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
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Before
Approximately 150 participants in Control and 150 participants in Rejection.
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After
Approximately 50 participants in Control and 50 participants in Rejection.
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Secondary Outcomes (End Points)
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Before
Motivation scores, learned helplessness scores, habit formation scores, and participants’ choices between the work and leisure options across all days of the study.
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After
Motivation scores, learned helplessness scores, habit formation scores, enjoyment during leisure and work, and attrition rates.
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Secondary Outcomes (Explanation)
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Before
Motivation is measured on days 4 and 15 using an adapted version of the Work Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation Scale (WEIMS), modified for the experimental work–leisure choice context. Responses to the 10 items are aggregated into an overall motivation score as well as intrinsic and extrinsic motivation sub-scores.
Learned helplessness is measured on day 16 using a six-item, context-specific questionnaire inspired by Quinless and Nelson (1988). Responses are combined into a single learned helplessness score.
Habit formation is measured on day 18 using the Self-Report Habit Index (SRHI; Verplanken & Orbell, 2003), with 12 items referring to the leisure option. Responses are summed to construct a habit strength score.
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After
Motivation is measured on days 4 and 15 using an adapted version of the Work Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation Scale (WEIMS), modified for the experimental work–leisure choice context. Responses to the 10 items are aggregated into an overall motivation score as well as intrinsic and extrinsic motivation sub-scores.
Learned helplessness is measured on day 16 using a six-item, context-specific questionnaire inspired by Quinless and Nelson (1988). Responses are combined into a single learned helplessness score.
Habit formation is measured on day 18 using the Self-Report Habit Index (SRHI; Verplanken & Orbell, 2003), with 12 items referring to the leisure option. Responses are summed to construct a habit strength score. Daily enjoyment is measured using single-item questions on a 7-point scale after each work or leisure period.
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