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Understanding Social Motives in Protest Participation: Experimental Evidence from Hong Kong

Last registered on June 10, 2019

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Understanding Social Motives in Protest Participation: Experimental Evidence from Hong Kong
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0004288
Initial registration date
June 07, 2019

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
June 10, 2019, 10:43 PM EDT

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

Locations

Region

Primary Investigator

Affiliation
Harvard University

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Affiliation
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
PI Affiliation
London School of Economics
PI Affiliation
University of Munich
PI Affiliation
University of Chicago

Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2019-06-07
End date
2019-08-15
Secondary IDs
Abstract
This project aims to understand social motives and their interaction with instrumental motives in shaping individuals' decisions to participate in anti-authoritarian protests. We focus on the large protest in Hong Kong against the proposed Extradition Bill, which will take place on June 9th, 2019. We cross-randomize two treatment arms: (a) information that changes individuals' perceived pro-social and anti-social norms adhered by protest participants and non-participants; and (b) monetary incentives to participate in the protest. We then observe experimental subjects' protest participation decisions as our primary outcome of interest.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Bursztyn , Leonardo et al. 2019. "Understanding Social Motives in Protest Participation: Experimental Evidence from Hong Kong." AEA RCT Registry. June 10. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.4288-1.0
Former Citation
Bursztyn , Leonardo et al. 2019. "Understanding Social Motives in Protest Participation: Experimental Evidence from Hong Kong." AEA RCT Registry. June 10. https://www.socialscienceregistry.org/trials/4288/history/47945
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
We cross-randomize two treatment arms: (a) information that changes individuals' perceived pro-social and anti-social norms adhered by protest participants and non-participants; and (b) monetary incentives to participate in the protest.
Intervention (Hidden)
The experiment features a three-by-two design. A random one-third of the experimental subjects are presented with information on the pro-democracy type among protest participants in the past (in particular, the Umbrella Movement in 2014). Another random one-third of the experimental subjects are presented with information on the pro-authoritarian type among non-participants of protests in the past (in particular, the Umbrella Movement in 2014). The remaining subjects are presented with no information. A cross-randomized treatment arm will provide a random half of the experimental subjects with instrumental incentives of participating in the June 9th protest. The treated students will be informed that they can take pictures at various times and locations during the protests in order to help with a crowd sourcing effort to generate more accurate count of protest turnout. In order to compensate for their time and effort, they will be paid with an additional HKD 350.
Intervention Start Date
2019-06-07
Intervention End Date
2019-06-09

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
As a first stage outcome, we elicit experimental subjects' posterior beliefs on the share of pro-democracy types among those who would participate in the upcoming protests, and among those who would not participate. We elicit experimental subjects' protest participation decisions as our primary outcome of interest.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Experimental subjects are recruited a few days before the June 9th protest. The baseline survey present information treatment and instrumental incentive treatment to the treated subjects. The baseline survey also elicit subjects' posterior beliefs on pro-democracy type shares among protest participants and non-participants. The outcomes (protest participation) will be elicited around end of July with a follow-up survey.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Randomization done in office by a computer.
Randomization Unit
Individual.
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
No cluster.
Sample size: planned number of observations
Planned experimental participants: 1,200 students at HKUST.
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
400 students receive no information treatment, and 400 students receive each one of the two types of information treatment.
600 students (cross-randomized) receive no incentive treatment, and 600 students receive incentive treatment.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
University of Munich
IRB Approval Date
2019-06-06
IRB Approval Number
2019-07
IRB Name
University of California at Berkeley
IRB Approval Date
2019-06-07
IRB Approval Number
2015-05-7571

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
No
Data Collection Complete
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials