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Direct and Interaction Effects of Cash Transfers and Psychological Interventions Promoting Future Orientation on Economic Outcomes

Last registered on May 17, 2017

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Promoting Future Orientation Among Cash Transfer Recipients
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0000996
Initial registration date
November 16, 2016

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 16, 2016, 9:59 AM EST

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

Last updated
May 17, 2017, 10:59 AM EDT

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

Locations

Region

Primary Investigator

Affiliation
University of Oxford

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Affiliation
Princeton University
PI Affiliation
University of Oxford
PI Affiliation
University of Oxford
PI Affiliation
University of Oxford
PI Affiliation
Duke University

Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2016-01-11
End date
2018-03-31
Secondary IDs
Abstract
The study seeks to analyse the impact cash transfers and of social psychological interventions (individually and in combination) on psychological and economic outcomes. Several sub-studies are associated with it.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Dercon, Stefan et al. 2017. "Promoting Future Orientation Among Cash Transfer Recipients." AEA RCT Registry. May 17. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.996-3.0
Former Citation
Dercon, Stefan et al. 2017. "Promoting Future Orientation Among Cash Transfer Recipients." AEA RCT Registry. May 17. https://www.socialscienceregistry.org/trials/996/history/17697
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Three types of interventions are used in the trial:
- The psychologically active intervention consists of two back-to-back ten-minute aspirational videos, a facilitated goal-setting exercise, and the distribution of a reminder.
- The psychologically inactive intervention consists of two back-to-back ten-minute placebo videos, a facilitated placebo exercise, and the distribution of a reminder.
- The cash transfer intervention consists of the standard three-stage cash transfer program implemented by GiveDirectly.

In the course of the registration process for the cash transfers, eligible individuals are provided with a mobile money account as well as a mobile phone if they do not yet have these. This is followed by three mobile money transfers, made in intervals of approximately two months: a small transfer (`Token') of approximately USD100 (nominal 2016 dollars); a large transfer (`Lump Sum A') of approximately USD450; and a second large transfer (`Lump Sum B') of USD450 minus the price of the mobile phone.
Intervention Start Date
2016-11-01
Intervention End Date
2017-06-30

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
The various outcomes will be specified in different pre-analysis plans that will be lodged before the outcomes are analyzed. Two initial analysis plans are enclosed in the initial registration (November 2016) for outcomes collected in the vicinity of the intervetion.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
See pre-analysis plans

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
The project follows a 2x2 factorial design, and villages randomly allocated into one of four treatment arms:
(1) Psychologically active intervention
(2) Placebo intervention
(3) Cash transfer intervention plus psychologically active intervention
(4) Cash transfer intervention plus placebo intervention
Within arm (3), the timing of the psychologically active intervention is randomized at the level of individuals for the purposes of a sub-trial.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Stratified randomization by computer.
Randomization Unit
Main study: Randomized at the village level. Sub-study: randomized at the level of individuals.
Was the treatment clustered?
Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
Estimated: 370 -430 villages. Number is not final; recruitment is ongoing.
Sample size: planned number of observations
Estimated average: 18 participants per village. Number is not final; recruitment is ongoing.
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
Target distribution is 1/4 of villages in each arm; but randomization is phased and ongoing, and the overall number of villages may not be divisible by 4.

Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Social Science & Humanities Inter-Divisional Research Ethics Committee
IRB Approval Date
2016-04-13
IRB Approval Number
SSD/CUREC1A/BSG C1A_16-002
Analysis Plan

Analysis Plan Documents

amendment+no3+to+rs+subtrial+on+timing.pdf

MD5: 4571483c98098f0cbe600601666310fa

SHA1: fce92c74a21f6b7b737def0871261df32d30216e

Uploaded At: May 17, 2017

rs subtrial on timing

MD5: 65fb9dee14f28ac5f02552fc8c50c90e

SHA1: a90845b71d7a8a78addea465ef6c7f44df40759b

Uploaded At: November 07, 2016