Digital Information Provision and Behavior Change: Lessons from Six Experiments in East Africa

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Fabregas, Raissa; Kremer, Michael; Lowes, Matthew; On, Robert; Zane, Giulia
• 署名单位: University of Texas System; University of Texas Austin; University of Chicago; National Bureau of Economic Research; CGIAR; International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
• 刊物名称: AMERICAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL-APPLIED ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1945-7782
• DOI: 10.1257/app.20220072
• 发表日期: 2025
• 页码: 527-566
• 关键词: Mobile phones; metaanalysis; selection; fertilizer; IMPACT; Heterogeneity; agriculture; TECHNOLOGY; Reminders; service

摘要

While some studies suggest mobile phone-based information programs change behavior; others find no effect. We evaluate six text message agricultural extension programs, collectively covering 128,000 farmers. A meta-analysis finds a 1.22-fold increase in the odds of adoption of recommended practices ( 95 percent CI: 1.16, 1.29). We cannot reject similar impacts across experiments. Impacts are increased by message repetition, but not by providing more granular information, using behavioral framings, or complementing texts with phone calls. There is little evidence of message fatigue or crowd-out. Despite modest absolute impacts detectable only with large samples or meta-analysis, texts are inexpensive enough to be cost-effective. ( JEL D83, D91, L96, O13, Q12, Q16)