Biodiversity losses and gains: an online field experiment on charitable donations

Last registered on March 10, 2022
View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Biodiversity losses and gains: an online field experiment on charitable donations
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0008981
Initial registration date
March 10, 2022

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 10, 2022, 9:04 PM EST

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

Locations

Country
Ecuador
Region
Galapagos

Primary Investigator

Name
Michael Tanner
Affiliation
University of Hamburg
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2022-03-08
End date
2022-04-08
Keywords
Environment & Energy
Additional Keywords
Donations for environmental NGO
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
Framing effects of losses and gains are trailed in an online field experiment on donations and charitable behaviour. By partnering up with a conservation NGO, we exploit the recent extinction and the recent rediscovery of a previously thought extinct specie (Both Galapagos tortoises) to test the effects of a loss and a gain frame.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Tanner, Michael . 2022. "Biodiversity losses and gains: an online field experiment on charitable donations." AEA RCT Registry. March 10. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.8981-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Potential donors from an NGOs warm-list will receive a donation email campaign, 4000 participants have been randomized to either receive a email campaign framed on the loss of biodiversity, or a campaign framed on the gain of biodiversity. We exploit the extinction and rediscovery of remarkably similar species, which are flagship species of conservation for the aforementioned NGO.
Intervention Start Date
2022-03-08
Intervention End Date
2022-04-08

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Donation dummy at the individual level
Amount given at the individual level (including and excluding zeros)
Overall response rate, average positive donation, the combination of both (return from the
campaign)
Effect of treatments on our outcome variables
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
approximately 4000 donors from the NGOs warm list participate, we employ stratified randomization (per previous donation behaviour, and interaction with previous campaigns), randomizing into 2 groups, one treated with the loss frame donation campaign, and one treated with the gain frame donation campaign.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Randomization done via STATA
Randomization Unit
Individuals
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
4000 individuals
Sample size: planned number of observations
4000
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
2000 loss frame, 2000 gain frame
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
WISO Research Lab, University of Hamburg
IRB Approval Date
2022-03-10
IRB Approval Number
N/A
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