The Review of Economics and Statistics
Pages 1-33
Date of Publication:
September 2024
Can information from a credible messenger shift behavior in an information-saturated environment? In a randomized controlled trial involving twenty-eight million individuals in West Bengal, we find that SMS-delivered video messages containing information about COVID-19 symptoms and health-preserving behaviors recorded by a credible messenger increased adherence to targeted and non-targeted preventive behaviors, measured by two objective measures (symptoms reported to a health worker, and phone usage at home), as well as self-reported behaviors. We find large spillovers onto non-targeted recipients. Credible light-touch messaging can play an important role in crisis response, even when similar information is widely available.
Citations
Banerjee, Abhijit, Marcella Alsan, Emily Breza, Arun G. Chandrasekhar, Abhijit Chowdury, Esther Duflo, Paul Goldsmith-Pinkham, and Benjamin A. Olken. 2024. Can a Trusted Messenger Change Behavior When Information Is Plentiful? Evidence from the First Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic in West Bengal. The Review of Economics and Statistics (September): p. 1-33. https://direct.mit.edu/rest/article/doi/10.1162/rest_a_01500/124424