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Participants' Understanding of the Treatment in Policy Experimentation

Author

Listed:
  • Walter Nicholson

    (Amherst College)

  • Sonia R. Wright

    (University of Massachusetts-Amherst)

Abstract

Participants' understanding of the treatment in social science experiments is raised as an issue in the specification of statistical models of policy evaluation. A statistical model is offered which shows that a failure to consider participants' understanding may intro duce biases of unknown direction into policy parametric estimates. Data from the New Jersey-Pennsylvania Negative Income Tax Experiment show that the negative income tax treatment was not well understood by the experimental participants, that under standing was correlated with experience and the treatment parameters themselves, and that the inclusion of "knowledge" variables in the labor supply equations used in the formal evaluation of the experiment changes some estimates of work disincentives.

Suggested Citation

  • Walter Nicholson & Sonia R. Wright, 1977. "Participants' Understanding of the Treatment in Policy Experimentation," Evaluation Review, , vol. 1(2), pages 245-268, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:evarev:v:1:y:1977:i:2:p:245-268
    DOI: 10.1177/0193841X7700100202
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Harold W. Watts & Robert Avery & David Elesh & David Horner & M. J. Lefcowitz & John Mamer & Dale Poirier & Seymour Spilerman & Sonia Wright, 1974. "The Labor-Supply Response of Husbands," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 9(2), pages 181-200.
    2. David Kershaw, "undated". "A Negative Income Tax Experiment," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 75baa942aabd4275a8cc2e8b8, Mathematica Policy Research.
    3. Metcalf, Charles E, 1973. "Making Inferences from Controlled Income Maintenance Experiments," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 63(3), pages 478-483, June.
    4. Robinson G. Hollister, 1974. "The Labor-Supply Response of the Family," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 9(2), pages 223-252.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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