The Power of (Mis)perceptions: The Role of Information in Shaping Attitudes Toward Paternity Leave. Evidence from University Students in Argentina

Last registered on March 05, 2026
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
The Power of (Mis)perceptions: The Role of Information in Shaping Attitudes Toward Paternity Leave. Evidence from University Students in Argentina
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0017916
Initial registration date
February 27, 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
March 05, 2026, 8:44 AM EST

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

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Name
María Azul Menduiña
Affiliation
CEDLAS-UNLP
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
María Laura Alzúa
PI Affiliation
CEDLAS-UNLP
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PI Name
Inés Berniell
PI Affiliation
CEDLAS-UNLP
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PI Name
Guillermo Cruces
PI Affiliation
UdeSA
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Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2026-03-09
End date
2026-12-31
Keywords
Behavior, Gender, Labor
Additional Keywords
Pluralistic ignorance, Misperceptions, Paternity leave, Information intervention, Belief updating
JEL code(s)
J13, J16, J22, D91
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
Despite the well-documented benefits of paternity leave, uptake among fathers remains limited worldwide. Recent research identifies perceived social stigma as a potential barrier, discouraging fathers from taking leave. This study investigates whether individuals underestimate others’ support for paternity leave—a form of pluralistic ignorance—and whether correcting these misperceptions through a simple, low-cost informational intervention increases both their willingness to recommend greater use and their stated behavioral intentions. To this end, we conduct an in-person survey experiment with final-year economics students at the National University of La Plata, eliciting first- and second-order beliefs and randomly providing accurate information about peer opinions. We further explore the mechanisms underlying heterogeneous treatment effects.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Alzúa, María Laura et al. 2026. "The Power of (Mis)perceptions: The Role of Information in Shaping Attitudes Toward Paternity Leave. Evidence from University Students in Argentina." AEA RCT Registry. March 05. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.17916-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
This study implements an information-based intervention embedded in an in-person survey experiment. Participants first report their own opinions toward paternity leave (first-order beliefs) and their perceptions of others’ opinions (second-order beliefs). We then randomly assign participants to a treatment or control group.

Participants in the treatment group receive accurate information about the actual level of support for paternity leave among their peers, as measured within their class. This information is intended to correct potential misperceptions regarding social support for paternity leave. Participants in the control group do not receive this information.

After the intervention, we elicit outcome measures capturing attitudes, recommendations, and intended behaviors related to the use and extension of paternity leave. The design allows us to assess whether correcting misperceptions about peer support affects individual attitudes and stated willingness to endorse or recommend greater use of paternity leave.
Intervention Start Date
2026-03-09
Intervention End Date
2026-03-20

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
The primary outcomes are students’ willingness to recommend longer use of paternity leave and their stated behavioral intentions regarding the use of paternity leave.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
Participants are presented with a hypothetical scenario in which paternity leave consists of a fixed number of optional days that the father can choose whether or not to use. They are asked to advise a new father on how he should allocate these optional leave days and, for male participants, to indicate how they themselves would use the leave under the same conditions.

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
The study uses an individually randomized survey experiment conducted in person. Participants first report their own opinions toward paternity leave length and their perceptions of peer support for longer paternity leave. They are then randomly assigned at the individual level, within session, to either a treatment or a control group. Participants in the treatment group receive accurate information about the actual level of support for longer paternity leave among their peers. Participants in the control group do not receive this information. Following the intervention, all participants complete the same outcome measures, including recommendations regarding the use of optional paternity leave days and stated behavioral intentions. The design allows for a comparison of post-intervention outcomes between treatment and control groups.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Randomization is conducted automatically by the survey platform. Participants are randomly assigned at the individual level to the treatment or control group by the platform’s built-in randomization algorithm at the time the survey is administered.
Randomization Unit
The unit of randomization is the individual participant (student). Randomization is implemented within classrooms, but assignment to treatment or placebo occurs at the individual level through the survey platform, with no group- or classroom-level randomization.
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
Approximately 1,000 individual participants (individual-level units; no clustering).
Sample size: planned number of observations
Approximately 1,000 individual participants, all final-year university students.
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
Approximately 500 individual participants assigned to the treatment group and approximately 500 individual participants assigned to the 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
CEDLAS-FCE-UNLP
IRB Approval Date
2026-02-27
IRB Approval Number
N/A
Analysis Plan