Does Information About the Parenthood Penalty Influence Support for Gender Equality?

Last registered on January 22, 2026
View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Does Information About the Parenthood Penalty Influence Support for Gender Equality?
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0017657
Initial registration date
January 16, 2026

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, 2026, 6:57 AM EST

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

Locations

There is information in this trial unavailable to the public. Use the button below to request access.

Request Information

Primary Investigator

Name
Matteo Gamalerio
Affiliation
University of Barcelona and Institut d'Economia de Barcelona
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Elisa Muscarella
PI Affiliation
University of Barcelona and Institut d'Economia de Barcelona
Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2026-01-21
End date
2026-02-28
Keywords
Behavior, Electoral, Gender, Health, Labor
Additional Keywords
Child penalty, Gender wage gap, Gender norms, Gender equality policies, Information provision experiment
JEL code(s)
J16, J13, C93, D83, D72, Z13
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
This project examines whether providing information about the parenthood penalty influences beliefs and support for gender equality policies in Spain. The parenthood penalty—defined as the decline in women’s earnings relative to men’s following childbirth—represents a substantial component of the gender wage gap. We design an information intervention consisting of a short video that explains both the magnitude of the penalty and the mechanisms that drive it.

The study addresses four main questions: (i) which individuals are most likely to be unaware of, or hold misperceptions about, the parenthood penalty, and which socio-economic and political characteristics predict these beliefs; (ii) whether exposure to information improves knowledge, corrects biased perceptions, and increases support for gender equality policies; (iii) which mechanisms and sources of heterogeneity shape these effects; and (iv) whether informational effects persist over the medium term.

To address these questions, we conduct an online survey experiment on a nationally representative sample of approximately 2,200 Spanish adults, recruited using quotas for gender, age, and region. Participants are randomly assigned to either a treatment group, which receives the informational video, or a control group. Two-thirds of respondents are recontacted in a follow-up survey to assess the durability of belief updating and attitudinal changes over time.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Gamalerio, Matteo and Elisa Muscarella. 2026. "Does Information About the Parenthood Penalty Influence Support for Gender Equality?." AEA RCT Registry. January 22. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.17657-1.0
Sponsors & Partners

Sponsors

Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
The goal of the project is to explore whether providing information on child penalty can shift support for gender equality policies. We plan to deliver our intervention under means of a short video with quantitative information recovered from the scientific literature.
Intervention Start Date
2026-01-21
Intervention End Date
2026-02-28

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
- Determinants of unawareness of parenthood penalty
- Attitudes towards gender equality policies
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
1. Determinants of unawareness of parenthood penalty
We explore this set of primary outcomes by analysing whether factors such as gender, educational attainment, parental status, employment as a working parent, age, political orientation, and exposure to female leaders are associated with different levels of knowledge about the existence of the parenthood penalty.
2. Attitudes towards gender equality policies
We examine whether the treatment can correct misperceptions about the parenthood penalty and foster support for gender equality policies and more egalitarian attitudes. Misperceptions are measured by asking panellists to estimate the long-run differences (10 years after the birth of the first child) between men and women with the same characteristics in terms of working days, part-time employment, and salary. These dimensions correspond to the information presented in the video shown to the treatment group. Respondents are asked to indicate their level of agreement or disagreement with a range of measures, including stricter or looser penalties for non-compliance with equal pay laws, the length and non-transferability of paternity leave, spending and incentives on family policies, the use of gender quotas, and pay transparency regulations.

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
- Mechanisms and source of heterogeneity
- Persistance of the effect
- Behavioural change
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)
3. Mechanisms and source of heterogeneity
We expect the treatment to vary by demographic and attitudinal characteristics (such as gender, educational attainment, parental status (corrent or intended), age group, employment background, ideological orientation, exposure to female leading figures and prior beliefs).
4. Persistance of the effect
We will investigate the persistence of the effect through an obfuscated survey. In this survey, we ask about the quantitative impact of gender wage gap,
5. Behavioural outcomes
Respondents will be given the option to request additional information on the gender wage gap through a report published by the EsadeEcPol Center for Economic Policy. In addition, participants will be entered into a lottery for a prize equivalent to 100€. We will then ask them to decide how they would allocate the potential award, including the number of points they would be willing to donate to an organization dedicated to promoting gender equality.

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
We will conduct an online information-provision experiment with a nationally representative sample of approximately 2,200 Spanish adults, using quotas based on gender, age, and geographical region (Comunidades Autónomas). Half of the participants will be randomly assigned to the treatment group. Around two-thirds of the sample will be recontacted one to two weeks later for a follow-up survey as part of the second wave.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
The survey will be distributed through Netquest, a certified market research company, which will effectuate the randomization of respondents between the treatment and control group through a computer.
Additionally, upon entering the survey, respondents will be entered into a lottery. The six winners will be randomly drawn by the survey company.
Randomization Unit
The randomization unit is at the individual level within strata (gender, age group and region quotas).
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
The planned number of units is approximately 2200 Spanish adult respondents, randomly assigned to either a control or a treament group.
Sample size: planned number of observations
The planned number of units is approximately 2200 Spanish adult respondents, randomly assigned to either a control or a treament group. This is the same as cluster because the designed is not clustered.
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
Since individuals are randomly allocated either to a treatment or to a control group, we expect 1,100 respondents in each group.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials

There is information in this trial unavailable to the public. Use the button below to request access.

Request Information
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Bioethics Commission of the University of Barcelona
IRB Approval Date
2025-12-12
IRB Approval Number
CER122508
Analysis Plan

Analysis Plan Documents

PAP_Does Information About the Parenthood Penalty Influence Support for Gender Equality

MD5: 0d5962a463552d9cac82d8930804d3de

SHA1: 9f165151646b62698a8bb5399b0fdfe05e0d51d1

Uploaded At: January 16, 2026