Pandemics, Politics, and COVID-19

Last registered on November 27, 2021

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Pandemics, Politics, and COVID-19
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0008606
Initial registration date
November 22, 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
November 27, 2021, 4:50 PM EST

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

Locations

Region

Primary Investigator

Affiliation
Abilene Christian University

Other Primary Investigator(s)

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2021-12-01
End date
2022-12-31
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
This research seeks to collect information and beliefs about the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope to better understand the factors determining how and why people hold certain beliefs over others.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
McNamara, Trent. 2021. "Pandemics, Politics, and COVID-19." AEA RCT Registry. November 27. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.8606-1.0
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention Start Date
2021-12-01
Intervention End Date
2022-12-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Following treatment, participants are asked to complete a set of outcomes questions that are broadly related to two main categories. First, participants will be asked questions related to trust, polarization, and activism. Second, they will be asked questions about the pandemic and vaccine hesitancy.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Recruitment occurs in two waves. In these waves, we randomize treatment and estimate effects. In our main estimates, we pool all waves . We use an advertisement campaign on Facebook to recruit from an active online community. Participation will be filtered in such that the survey is only viewable to those who are older than 18 years old. This also gives us a representative sample from across the United States throughout 2021 and samples from a population that is actively engaged in online activities, a natural setting through which treatment is actually administered.

Upon starting the survey, participants are asked to consent followed by a variety of demographic questions, including gender, age, and political orientation. Following recruitment, participants are randomly assigned into one of the four different groups. Details of these groups is hidden so as to not influence results.
Experimental Design Details
Recruitment occurs in two waves. To identify and test for statistical power, we ran a pilot wave (n≈200) during the end of 2021. Following this, we run a second wave (n≈1,000). In these waves, we randomize treatment and estimate effects. In our main estimates, we pool all waves (n≈1,200). We use an advertisement campaign on Facebook to recruit from an active online community. Participation will be filtered in such that the survey is only viewable to those who are older than 18 years old. This also gives us a representative sample from across the United States throughout 2021 and samples from a population that is actively engaged in online activities, a natural setting through which treatment is actually administered.

Upon starting the survey, participants are asked to consent followed by a variety of demographic questions, including gender, age, and political orientation. Following recruitment, participants are randomly assigned into one of the four different groups:

Control – participants are told basic statistics about the COVID-19 pandemic, including the total number of cases and the total number of deaths.

Treatment 1 (T1) – participants are provided the same information as in the control group and are additionally given studies evaluating the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines, along with information about how vaccines reduce transmission.

Treatment 2 (T2) – participants are provided the same information as in the control group and are additionally given headlines from news articles that report on forced vaccine mandates and penalties for not complying.

Treatment 3 (T3) – participants are provided the same information as in the control group and are additionally given both the information from the Treatment 1 group and the Treatment 2 group.

This design generates exogenous variation in exposure to different types of information. The comparison of T1 to control estimates the impact of information on the safety and efficacy, while the comparison of T2 to control estimates the impact of this command-and-control tone on beliefs and decisions. The comparison of T3 to T1 allows for the estimation of how T2 impacts T1, that is, how the tone of command-and-control impacts the positive net benefits gained from information provision.
Randomization Method
Randomization done by survey software (Qualtrics).
Randomization Unit
Individual-level.
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
1200 individuals.
Sample size: planned number of observations
1200 individuals.
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
1200 individuals, approximately 300 in each group.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Abilene Christian University
IRB Approval Date
2021-11-11
IRB Approval Number
21-158
Analysis Plan

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

Request Information

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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

Request Information

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