Conservative Values and Authoritarian Support

Last registered on April 20, 2021

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Conservative Values and Authoritarian Support
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0007576
Initial registration date
April 18, 2021

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
April 20, 2021, 6:38 AM EDT

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

Locations

Region

Primary Investigator

Affiliation
George Washington University

Other Primary Investigator(s)

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2021-04-26
End date
2021-12-31
Secondary IDs
Abstract
This study includes a set of survey-embedded experiments to assess the degree to which conservative/traditional values can be mobilized to bolster support for political leaders in authoritarian systems, focusing on the case of Russia.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Hale, Henry. 2021. "Conservative Values and Authoritarian Support." AEA RCT Registry. April 20. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.7576-1.0
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
This study includes, along with a series of direct survey questions, four survey-embedded experiments (priming, conjoint).
Intervention Start Date
2021-04-26
Intervention End Date
2021-05-14

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
1. The outcome variable is a four-point scale of approving Putin’s work. Since what is of primary interest is the valence difference between support and non-support, this will be converted into a binary variable with all who lean supportive coded 1 and all others coded 0.

2. The outcome variable is a four-point scale of approving United Russia’s work. Since what is of primary interest is the valence difference between support and non-support, this will be converted into a binary variable with all who lean supportive coded 1 and all others coded 0.

3. The outcome variable is an 11-point scale of how likely the respondent would be to vote for the candidate.

4. The outcome variable is an 11-point scale of how likely the respondent would be to vote for the candidate
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
1. The outcome of primary interest is the difference in the average responses produced by the control subsample and the two treatment groups.

2. The outcome of primary interest is the difference in the average responses produced by the control subsample and the two treatment groups.

3. The outcomes of primary interest will be the average marginal effects of the different treatment variables on the outcome variables. Also of primary interest is whether the effects of the treatments reflecting conservative values change systematically depending on whether the hypothetical candidate in question is a Putin supporter/opponent or is someone with (un)proven experience delivering material benefits.

4. The outcomes of primary interest will be the average marginal effects of the different treatment variables on the outcome variables. Also of primary interest is whether the effects of the treatments reflecting conservative values change systematically depending on whether the hypothetical candidate in question is a Putin supporter/opponent or is someone with (un)proven experience delivering material benefits.

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
The survey agency VCIOM selects phone numbers from a national database at random by a computer within primary sampling units that are identified to produce a nationally representative sample of the adult population, following VCIOM’s standard sample design. Analogous techniques are used to generate samples representative of each of six Russian regions. The VCIOM interviewer then calls the selected phone numbers, choosing one member of the household. Interviews will be conducted by phone.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Randomization of treatment assignments will be accomplished by VCIOM using the randomization function in the software SurveyStudio.
Randomization Unit
Individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
0
Sample size: planned number of observations
1. 1600 adult residents of the Russian Federation. 2. 1800 adult residents of three regions of the Russian Federation. 3. 1800 adult residents of three regions of the Russian Federation. 4. 600 adult residents of one region of the Russian Federation.
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
1. Approximately 533 respondents per treatment arm.

2. Approximately 600 respondents per treatment arm.

3. Approximately 900 respondents per treatment category.

4. Approximately 300 respondents per treatment category where treatment variables are binary; about 200 when treatment variables have three values.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
George Washington University Committee on Human Research, Institutional Review Board
IRB Approval Date
2021-04-01
IRB Approval Number
NCR213455
Analysis Plan

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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