Mapping out methods
Bringing structure to the study of behavior
The engagement toolbox
Article The Engagement Toolbox By Salim Kombo and Ruth Canagarajah Milestones are a matter of perspective. For parents, five years is critical in the development of a child. It forms the foundation…
5 reflections to strengthen civic engagement- Part 2
Article 5 Reflections to Strengthen Civic Engagement- Part 2 By Ariana Keyman, Gideon Too, Ruth Canagarajah Our determination to set up behavioral labs in non-WEIRD countries was driven by the idea that…
The unreliability of value elicitation methods in valuing development interventions.
This study assesses the relative reliability of the most common incentive-compatible value elicitation techniques, and compares valuations generated by each technique to those from a hypothetical question. Specifically, we collect…
To live or not to leave
Article To live or not to leave By David Wünschel and Brian Baraza Introduction For wealthy people from wealthy countries, it may not always be easy, though usually quite feasible to be…
Benchmarking Development Programs: A Preference-Based Approach
This study proposes a preference-based benchmarking approach to assess trade-offs between alternative uses of aid dollars. We ask ~800 low-income Kenyans their valuation (in cash) for common aid and development…
Stress and Temporal Discounting: Do Domains Matter?
Recent work in behavioral economics has asked whether stress affects economic choice. Here we focus on the effects of stress on temporal discounting, for which previous studies have produced inconsistent…
Measuring Self-Efficacy, Executive Function and Temporal Discounting in Kenya
Developing countries have low adherence to medical regimens like water chlorination or antenatal and postnatal care, contributing to high infant and child mortality rates. We hypothesize that high levels of…
Risky Choices and Solidarity: Why Experimental Design Matters
Negative income shocks can either be the consequence of risky choices or random events. A growing literature analyzes the role of responsibility for neediness for informal financial support of individuals…
Peace of Mind: Health Insurance Reduces Stress and Cortisol Levels
We show that the provision of health insurance reduces levels of self-reported stress and the stress hormone cortisol using a randomized controlled trial among informal workers in Nairobi, Kenya. The…