Narrative Frames and Host Support for Refugees

Last registered on May 06, 2026
View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Narrative Frames and Host Support for Refugees
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0018520
Initial registration date
May 01, 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
May 06, 2026, 10:54 AM EDT

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
Dariia Mykhailyshyna
Affiliation
Kyiv School of Economics
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Margaryta Klymak
PI Affiliation
King's College London
Contact Investigator
PI Name
Kathryn Vasilaky
PI Affiliation
California Polytechnic State University
Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2026-05-01
End date
2027-06-30
Keywords
Behavior, Crime, Violence, & Conflict, Other
Additional Keywords
refugees, narrative framing, survey experiment, Ukraine, Lithuania
JEL code(s)
F22, J15, C93
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
We study the effect of narrative videos on attitudes toward Ukrainian refugees among Lithuanian adults. We randomly assign approximately 1,500 respondents to one of four 90-second videos describing a refugee journey: three narrative arms (empathy, shared history, economic) and a control. The three videos share a single storyboard and differ only in voice-over. After the video, respondents complete a short decision task involving a current Ukrainian refugee policy proposal, in which they observe how others have responded before forming their own view. Outcomes include the policy choice, a feeling thermometer toward Ukrainian refugees, an incentivised donation, and additional policy-support items. We re-contact respondents one month and six weeks after wave 1 to track how effects evolve.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Klymak, Margaryta , Dariia Mykhailyshyna and Kathryn Vasilaky. 2026. "Narrative Frames and Host Support for Refugees." AEA RCT Registry. May 06. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.18520-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention Start Date
2026-05-01
Intervention End Date
2026-06-30

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
policy choice related to Ukrainian refugees a feeling thermometer toward Ukrainian refugees, an incentivised donation, and additional policy-support items
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
Full explanation of outcomes available in the pre-analysis plan

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
The study is a three-wave online survey experiment with Lithuanian adults (target N ≈ 1,500). In wave 1, respondents are randomly assigned with equal probability to one of four conditions: three 90-second video treatments that share a common storyboard but differ in voice-over, and a control. After the video, respondents complete a short decision task involving a current Ukrainian refugee policy proposal, followed by a battery of attitudinal and behavioral outcomes including a feeling thermometer toward Ukrainian refugees, an incentivised donation, and policy-support items. Respondents are re-contacted approximately one month and six weeks after wave 1 to measure persistence and decay of treatment effects on the same outcome battery. Randomization is implemented at the individual level through Qualtrics with balanced cell sizes; assignment is fixed across waves.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Qualtrics randomization tool
Randomization Unit
individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
NA
Sample size: planned number of observations
1500
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
375
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Kyiv School of Economics
IRB Approval Date
2026-03-16
IRB Approval Number
2026-3
Analysis Plan

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

Request Information