Using Social Networks to Promote New Agricultural Technologies

Last registered on January 16, 2015
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Using Social Networks to Promote New Agricultural Technologies
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0000556
Initial registration date
January 16, 2015

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 16, 2015, 11:20 PM EST

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

Locations

Country
Nepal
Region

Primary Investigator

Name
Ahmed Mobarak
Affiliation
Yale University
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2014-01-01
End date
2015-12-31
Keywords
Agriculture
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Abstract
Low adoption of agricultural technologies holds large productivity consequences for developing countries. Social networks are recognized as the most credible source of information about new technologies. We investigate whether social learning can be actively leveraged to increase technology diffusion. We conduct a large-scale field experiment in which we communicate with farmers about a productive new technology through different members of social networks. We also test if communicator effort and success are susceptible to small performance incentives and flat rewards.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Mobarak, Ahmed. 2015. "Using Social Networks to Promote New Agricultural Technologies ." AEA RCT Registry. January 16. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.556-1.0
Former Citation
Mobarak, Ahmed. 2015. "Using Social Networks to Promote New Agricultural Technologies ." AEA RCT Registry. January 16. https://www.socialscienceregistry.org/trials/556/history/3384
Sponsors & Partners

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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
(i) Treatment 1: Experimental variation in types of communicators assigned to different wards

Each treatment ward is randomly assigned one type of communication strategy:

a) Local government extension workers
b) Lead farmers who are educated and able to sustain experimentation
c) Peer farmers who are more representative of the general population and whose experiences may be more applicable to the average recipient farmer’s own conditions

ii) Treatment 2: Experimental variation in nature of incentive/reward offered to different communicators

Each communicator type (presented above) is randomly assigned to one type of incentive/reward:

a) Performance based incentive
b) Flat reward
c) No incentive

Intervention Start Date
2014-03-03
Intervention End Date
2015-10-30

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
The key outcomes of interest are as follows:

a) Rate of adoption of disseminated technologies
b) Total hectares of smallholder area on which disseminated technologies are used
c) Extension workers knowledge of disseminated technology
d) Lead farmer and peer farmer knowledge of disseminated technology
e) Farmer knowledge of disseminated technology
f) Access to extension services (number of farmers receiving advice/training)
g) Maize yields (tons/ha)

Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
A cross cutting experimental design using the two different interventions described above.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Randomization done in office by a computer
Randomization Unit
Wards
Was the treatment clustered?
Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
168 wards
Sample size: planned number of observations
2,520 households (15 households per ward)
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
48 control wards; 120 treatment wards
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Yale University Human Subjects Committee
IRB Approval Date
2014-04-09
IRB Approval Number
1401013338
Analysis Plan

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