IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/aea/aejapp/v17y2025i1p527-66.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

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

Author

Listed:
  • Raissa Fabregas
  • Michael Kremer
  • Matthew Lowes
  • Robert On
  • Giulia Zane

Abstract

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Raissa Fabregas & Michael Kremer & Matthew Lowes & Robert On & Giulia Zane, 2025. "Digital Information Provision and Behavior Change: Lessons from Six Experiments in East Africa," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 17(1), pages 527-566, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aejapp:v:17:y:2025:i:1:p:527-66
    DOI: 10.1257/app.20220072
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.aeaweb.org/doi/10.1257/app.20220072
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://doi.org/10.3886/E186241V1
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.aeaweb.org/doi/10.1257/app.20220072.appx
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.aeaweb.org/doi/10.1257/app.20220072.ds
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to AEA members and institutional subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1257/app.20220072?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Esther Duflo & Michael Kremer & Jonathan Robinson, 2008. "How High Are Rates of Return to Fertilizer? Evidence from Field Experiments in Kenya," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 98(2), pages 482-488, May.
    2. Eva Vivalt, 2020. "How Much Can We Generalize From Impact Evaluations?," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 18(6), pages 3045-3089.
    3. Hijbeek, R. & van Loon, M.P. & Ouaret, W. & Boekelo, B. & van Ittersum, M.K., 2021. "Liming agricultural soils in Western Kenya: Can long-term economic and environmental benefits pay off short term investments?," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).
    4. Rachael Meager, 2019. "Understanding the Average Impact of Microcredit Expansions: A Bayesian Hierarchical Analysis of Seven Randomized Experiments," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 11(1), pages 57-91, January.
    5. Kisinyo, P. O. & Opala, P. A. & Palapala, V. & Gudu, S. O. & Othieno, C. O. & Ouma, E., 2015. "Micro-Dosing of Lime, Phosphorus and Nitrogen Fertilizers Effect on Maize Performance on an Acid Soil in Kenya," Sustainable Agriculture Research, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 4(2).
    6. Kyle Emerick & Manzoor H. Dar, 2021. "Farmer Field Days and Demonstrator Selection for Increasing Technology Adoption," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 103(4), pages 680-693, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Holla,Alaka & Bendini,Maria Magdalena & Dinarte Diaz,Lelys Ileana & Trako,Iva, 2021. "Is Investment in Preprimary Education Too Low ? Lessons from (Quasi) ExperimentalEvidence across Countries," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9723, The World Bank.
    2. Stefano DellaVigna & Elizabeth Linos, 2022. "RCTs to Scale: Comprehensive Evidence From Two Nudge Units," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 90(1), pages 81-116, January.
    3. Cameron, Lisa & Gertler, Paul & Shah, Manisha & Alzua, Maria Laura & Martinez, Sebastian & Patil, Sumeet, 2022. "The dirty business of eliminating open defecation: The effect of village sanitation on child height from field experiments in four countries," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    4. Annie Duflo & Jessica Kiessel & Adrienne Lucas, 2020. "Experimental Evidence on Alternative Policies to Increase Learning at Scale," NBER Working Papers 27298, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Anand, Gautam & Atluri, Aishwarya & Crawfurd, Lee & Pugatch, Todd & Sheth, Ketki, 2023. "Improving school management in low and middle income countries: A systematic review," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    6. Andor, Mark A. & Gerster, Andreas & Peters, Jörg, 2022. "Information campaigns for residential energy conservation," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    7. Marshall Burke & Sam Heft-Neal & Jessica Li & Anne Driscoll & Patrick Baylis & Matthieu Stigler & Joakim A. Weill & Jennifer A. Burney & Jeff Wen & Marissa L. Childs & Carlos F. Gould, 2022. "Exposures and behavioural responses to wildfire smoke," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 6(10), pages 1351-1361, October.
    8. Chowdhury, Shyamal & Smits, Joeri & Sun, Qigang, 2020. "Contract structure, time preference, and technology adoption," GLO Discussion Paper Series 633, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    9. Masselus, Lise & Petrik, Christina & Ankel-Peters, Jörg, 2024. "Lost in the design space? Construct validity in the microfinance literature," Ruhr Economic Papers 1097, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    10. Galiani, Sebastian & Quistorff, Brian, 2024. "Assessing external validity in practice," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(3).
    11. Kondylis,Florence & Loeser,John Ashton, 2021. "Intervention Size and Persistence," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9769, The World Bank.
    12. Baul, Tushi & Karlan, Dean & Toyama, Kentaro & Vasilaky, Kathryn, 2024. "Improving smallholder agriculture via video-based group extension," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    13. Obie Porteous, 2022. "Research Deserts and Oases: Evidence from 27 Thousand Economics Journal Articles on Africa," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 84(6), pages 1235-1258, December.
    14. Edward D. Perry & David A. Hennessy & GianCarlo Moschini, 2022. "Uncertainty and learning in a technologically dynamic industry: Seed density in U.S. maize," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 104(4), pages 1388-1410, August.
    15. Takuya Ishihara & Toru Kitagawa, 2021. "Evidence Aggregation for Treatment Choice," Papers 2108.06473, arXiv.org, revised Jul 2024.
    16. Chowdhury, Shyamal & Smits, Joeri & Sun, Qigang, 2020. "Contract Structure, Time Preference, and Technology Adoption," IZA Discussion Papers 13590, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    17. Bo, Hao & Galiani, Sebastian, 2021. "Assessing external validity," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 75(3), pages 274-285.
    18. Pritchett, Lant, 2024. "Rely (only) on the rigorous evidence” is bad advice," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 119818, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    19. Keiko Fukumori & Ayumi Arai & Tomoya Matsumoto, 2022. "Risk Management for Smallholder Farmers: An Empirical Study on the Adoption of Weather-Index Crop Insurance in Rural Kenya," Working Papers 230, JICA Research Institute.
    20. Dunning, Thad & Bicalho, Clara & Chowdhury, Anirvan & Grossman, Guy & Humphreys, Macartan & Hyde, Susan D. & McIntosh, Craig & Nellis, Gareth, 2019. "Meta-Analysis," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, pages 315-374.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • L96 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Telecommunications
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products
    • Q12 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Micro Analysis of Farm Firms, Farm Households, and Farm Input Markets
    • Q16 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - R&D; Agricultural Technology; Biofuels; Agricultural Extension Services

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:aea:aejapp:v:17:y:2025:i:1:p:527-66. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Michael P. Albert (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/aeaaaea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.