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Field
Randomization Method
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Before
Individual-level randomization implemented automatically by the oTree platform at the start of Stage 2. Participants are assigned to one of four arms using a pseudo-random number generator, stratified by vignette type to ensure balance across treatment cells.
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After
Individual-level randomization is implemented automatically by the oTree platform at session creation. Participants are assigned to one of four arms using deterministic block randomization in blocks of 4, guaranteeing exact balance (25% per arm) across the full sample. Block order is shuffled randomly within each block using a pseudo-random number generator.
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Field
Intervention (Hidden)
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Before
Participants are recruited via Prolific and must meet two eligibility criteria: household income between 100–250% of the Federal Poverty Level and current or past receipt of at least one safety-net program (SNAP, Medicaid, TANF, CCDF, ACA subsidies, or EITC). After completing an intake survey capturing household composition, employment, and benefit receipt, participants are matched to one of three vignette templates (single adult no children, single parent with children, two-adult household with children) based on their reported household structure.
In Stage 1 (baseline), all participants read a text description of a hypothetical worker facing a job offer that increases earnings near a benefit cliff threshold. The description replicates the kind of fragmented, agency-style program information workers encounter in real life. Participants report (1) their predicted change in total monthly household resources if the worker accepts the offer and (2) whether they would recommend accepting the offer.
In Stage 2, participants receive their randomly assigned treatment. Arms A and B receive access to an interactive Policy Rules Database (PRD) dashboard that visualizes net household resources across income levels. Arms C and D interact with an AI assistant (Claude, Anthropic) that provides the same underlying PRD data conversationally, personalized to the vignette household. Arms B and D additionally receive a recovery information box stating that workers in similar occupations typically return to their prior resource level within a specified number of years, calculated from sector-specific wage growth rates. Arms A and C receive no recovery information. Participants repeat the same two questions from Stage 1.
In Stage 3, all participants see the actual resource change computed from PRD rules alongside their Stage 1 and Stage 2 estimates. They then answer questions on reconsideration of the job decision, tolerance for short-term loss, and willingness to pay for benefit information. Accuracy bonuses of $1.50 per stage are awarded when the participant's predicted monthly resource change falls within $300 of the true value.
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After
Participants are recruited via Prolific and must meet two eligibility criteria: household income between 100–250% of the Federal Poverty Level and current or past receipt of at least one safety-net program (SNAP, Medicaid, TANF, CCDF, ACA subsidies, or EITC). After completing an intake survey capturing household composition, employment, and benefit receipt, participants are matched to one of 56 vignettes drawn from a bank stratified by household type (single parent with one child, married couple with no children, married couple with one child, or married couple with two children) and vignette type (60% benefit cliff, 25% positive net resource change, 15% near-zero change).
In Stage 1 (baseline), all participants read a text description of a hypothetical worker facing a job offer that increases earnings near a benefit cliff threshold. The description replicates the kind of fragmented, agency-style program information workers encounter in real life. Participants report (1) their predicted change in total monthly household resources if the worker accepts the offer and (2) whether they would recommend accepting the offer.
In Stage 2, participants receive their randomly assigned treatment. Arms A and B receive access to an interactive Policy Rules Database (PRD) dashboard that visualizes net household resources across income levels. Arms C and D interact with an AI assistant (Claude, Anthropic) that provides the same underlying PRD data conversationally, personalized to the vignette household. Arms B and D additionally receive a recovery information box stating that workers in similar occupations typically return to their prior resource level within a specified number of years, calculated from sector-specific wage growth rates. Arms A and C receive no recovery information. Participants repeat the same two questions from Stage 1.
In Stage 3, all participants see the actual resource change computed from PRD rules alongside their Stage 1 and Stage 2 estimates. They then answer questions on reconsideration of the job decision, tolerance for short-term loss, and willingness to pay for benefit information. Accuracy bonuses of $1.50 per stage are awarded when the participant's predicted monthly resource change falls within $150 of the true value.
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