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Polarization and openness to others

Last registered on November 17, 2021

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Polarization and openness to others
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0008029
Initial registration date
August 04, 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
August 05, 2021, 5:22 AM EDT

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

Last updated
November 17, 2021, 12:44 PM EST

Last updated is the most recent time when changes to the trial's registration were published.

Locations

Region

Primary Investigator

Affiliation
The University of Chicago

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Affiliation
Cornell University

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2021-08-03
End date
2022-02-28
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
There is growing evidence that people seek to avoid contact or exchange of information with others that have different views than theirs. In this study, we test whether raising people’s awareness about the fact that they share views on fundamental values (human rights) increases the willingness to listen to others who share different political views.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Belot, Michele and GUGLIELMO BRISCESE. 2021. "Polarization and openness to others ." AEA RCT Registry. November 17. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.8029-1.4000000000000004
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Main study participants (i.e., a representative sample of Americans) will be asked to choose whether they would like to listen to individuals expressing their (different) views on political issues. Participants are randomized into one of the control or two treatment groups; the treatment groups differ by the information shown prior to listening to others.
Intervention Start Date
2021-08-23
Intervention End Date
2021-09-13

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Willingness to engage and level of engagement, measured as number of times a respondent was willing to listen to others and the length of time they actually spent listening to others.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
The primary outcome measures will be automatically recorded.

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Change of views and firmness of views.
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)
Secondary outcomes will include individuals' firmness of views before and after treatment as measured by 1-to-10 survey scale questions.

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
This multi-phase study will study individuals' willingness to listen to people with different views on important political topics. Interventions will consist in randomly assigned information about others that can potentially increase individuals' willingness to engage with peers who hold different views on the selected topics. The study will take place in the U.S. and the main study phase will include a representative sample of Americans.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Randomization is done by a software.
Randomization Unit
The unit of randomization of the individual (i.e. the survey respondent).
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
The main experiment will include approximately 2,500 respondents randomly allocated across one control and two treatment groups. Participants will not be clustered.
Sample size: planned number of observations
For each respondent we will collect behavioral (i.e., actions) and survey-based outcomes as specified in the pre-analysis plan.
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
We expect each of the three groups (1 control and 2 treatment) to be approximately of the same size.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Power calculations are attached to the pre-analysis plan.
Supporting Documents and Materials

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IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Cornell University Office of Research Integrity and Assurance
IRB Approval Date
2021-06-16
IRB Approval Number
2105010352
Analysis Plan

Analysis Plan Documents

Analysis plan, including power calculations

MD5: 5c1765a95b9e4bdce07dc1519824b8d7

SHA1: b4dcea2c04c824b9ef8f3e30ad86aec8250c4e57

Uploaded At: August 02, 2021

Amended analysis plan

MD5: aa46366cc8ad65a8b21912a5c2e8f12a

SHA1: 8255170a1f22ae2fa63bd271e2c19a5e42736b02

Uploaded At: November 12, 2021

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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

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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