Willigness to test for the coronavirus

Last registered on March 24, 2020

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Willigness to test for the coronavirus
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0005587
Initial registration date
March 23, 2020

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 24, 2020, 10:58 AM EDT

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

Locations

Region

Primary Investigator

Affiliation
University of Wyoming

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Affiliation
University of Wyoming
PI Affiliation
University of Wyoming
PI Affiliation
University of Wyoming
PI Affiliation
University of Wyoming

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2020-03-24
End date
2020-03-30
Secondary IDs
Abstract
Who is it that agrees to take the COVID-19 test, when such tests are available? There is a rich literature that shows how people avoid information (including taking health tests), if they do not want to change their current behavior or think they will suffer emotionally. There is reason to believe such selection might be true for the COVID-19 test too. In particular, it might be the people who are the most likely to spread the virus (e.g., “super spreaders”) who are the least likely to get tested. We also examine if the willingness to test depends on the type of self-quarantine recommended (home or away from home) if a test comes back positive.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Ashworth, Madison et al. 2020. "Willigness to test for the coronavirus." AEA RCT Registry. March 24. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.5587-1.0
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Participants will be asked whether they would take a free test for the coronavirus COVID-19. Before they are asked the question, they get randomized into one of two information treatments, T1 and T2. In T1, they are told that people who test positive are urged to self-quarantine at home for 14 days. In T2, they are told that people who test positive are urged to self-quarantine for 14 days, and also that several states around the country are preparing special locations that may house people who test positive, such that they could self-quarantine away from home.
Intervention Start Date
2020-03-24
Intervention End Date
2020-03-30

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
The choice to take a costless coronavirus test
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Participants will be asked whether they would take a free test for the coronavirus COVID-19. Before they are asked the question, they get randomized into one of two information treatments, T1 and T2. In T1, they are told that people who test positive are urged to self-quarantine at home for 14 days. In T2, they are told that people who test positive are urged to self-quarantine for 14 days, and also that several states around the country are preparing special locations that may house people who test positive, such that they could self-quarantine away from home.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
By computer.
Randomization Unit
Individual.
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
None
Sample size: planned number of observations
960
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
480 per treatment arm.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Institutional Review Board, University of Wyoming
IRB Approval Date
2020-03-23
IRB Approval Number
N/A

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