Articles tagged with Field Experiments
Researchers found that wild chimpanzees do not independently invent complex tool use behaviors like nut cracking. Instead, they learn from observing and imitating others, similar to humans. This challenges the long-held assumption that chimpanzee culture is non-cumulative.
New research shows radio dramas can shift behavioral intentions, beliefs, and attitudes toward violent extremism. Experimental studies found that participants who listened to fictional radio dramas increased prioritization of addressing violent extremism and reduced justification of violence.
A field experiment in India found that a one-time capital boost improves the condition of the very poor even a decade later. The study, led by MIT researchers, showed positive effects on consumption, food security, income, and health for seven years after the start of the program and remained intact after 10 years.
A cross-national field experiment found no gender discrimination against young women in hiring processes for female-dominated occupations. In contrast, men were discriminated against in Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and the UK, with a 5-9% lower chance of receiving feedback on their applications.
A long-term study in Elkhorn Slough found that superabundant crabs weaken tidal creek banks, reducing marsh plant growth and increasing erosion. Reducing crab abundance led to increased salt marsh vegetation growth and enhanced sediment density.
Research reveals that 'Made in USA' claims positively impact sales, with a 28% increase in auction transaction prices on eBay. This study found that the claim had a negative effect on three brands and a 'trend decline' on another brand after its removal from products.
A field experiment involving 100 students showed that soft smartphone bans can increase efficiency for standard routine tasks, but have no notable impact on more complex tasks. The success of soft bans also depends on employees' perceptions of social norms and freedom of choice.
A new study finds that correcting online falsehoods on Twitter can lead to an increase in lower-quality, partisan content and toxicity, as users retweet and share false information after being corrected by others.
A study from Bocconi University found that negative campaigning with electoral attacks on opponents backfires, but has positive spillover effects on third candidates in multicandidate races. In a three-candidate race, the 'idle candidate' benefits from negative smearing.
Researchers from several universities and institutions found that intercepting customers with promotional materials and simplified registration forms increased new organ donor registrations by up to 80%. The study aims to reduce the intention-action gap in organ donation by leveraging behavioral science.
A randomized controlled field experiment in Uganda found that volunteer marketers helped entrepreneurs increase sales by 52%, profits by 36%, assets by 31%, and employees by 24%. Marketing expertise enables firms to differentiate and attract customer interest, leading to improved growth rates and societal impact.
A study of 5,780 individuals found that prior beliefs do not influence responses to uncertainty in news, but rather impact trust in facts. Communicating numerical uncertainty may not be counterproductive when it comes to increasing public trust in facts.
Researchers discovered that both the yellow color and the black and yellow mosaic pattern are essential for luring prey during the day. The study also found that the yellow color alone was very effective at luring nocturnal insects.
A field experiment found that positive, nonenforcement contact between police and residents improved attitudes towards the police. The study's findings suggest that community-oriented policing can increase public trust and police legitimacy, especially among minority communities.
Prophetic patents often describe hypothetical experiments with excessive detail, potentially misleading scientists and non-experts. Labels are suggested to distinguish between prophetic and non-prophetic examples in patent applications.
A field experiment in Uganda found that raising tenants' share of crops from 50% to 75% can increase agricultural output by 60%, thanks to higher investment and risk-taking. The change also led to a sharp gain in overall welfare for tenants, but a 20% drop in landlords' income.
A large-scale experiment found seed predation increased by 2.6% for every 10 degrees of latitude toward the Equator and by 0.4% for every 100-metre decline in elevation. Invertebrates, such as insects, played a key role in these interactions.
The automatic tool improves both inter-operator and intra-operator reliability, with a peak force sharper than the sliding hammer. Both tools have high learnability, but the automatic tool is 75% more efficient.
This research article assesses two tools for cement crown retrieval, finding that the automatic tool improves reliability and efficiency. The study also reveals a significant difference in force patterns between the tools, with the compressed air-powered instrument producing sharper peak forces.
A natural field experiment found that social nudges decrease electricity consumption with potential policy implications for energy markets. The average effect of receiving both nudges was similar to the sum of individual effects, suggesting limited crowd-out effects.
The Bumble-BEEHAVE model predicts individual and interacting effects of stressors on bumblebee survival and informs management recommendations. The tool aids in designing field experiments, risk assessments, and assigning bespoke management advice.
A field experiment by researchers found that people report less enjoyment from meals with friends and family when phones are present, compared to phoneless conditions. Frequent phone use may chip away at well-being over time.
A recent Northwestern University meta-analysis found striking stability in discrimination against African-Americans, despite a decline in Latino discrimination. Researchers analyzed data from field experiments of hiring between 1990 and 2015, finding that racial gaps in the labor force persist regardless of educational attainment.
A new study in Marketing Science found that consumer responses to mobile promotions are higher and faster in sunny weather than cloudy weather. The study suggests that firms can use local weather information to improve the effectiveness of their mobile ads, with better-than-yesterday or forecasted sunshine boosting purchase responses.
Research shows that being watched while making sensitive purchases inhibits sales; providing privacy measures like shopping baskets can alleviate this issue. Retailers must balance customer privacy with shoplifting control.
A University of Guelph study reveals that early-born squirrels have a better chance at survival, as they can find vacant spots to store their food for the winter. The researchers found that birth date is a key factor in survival, with earlier births being more advantageous in densely populated neighborhoods.
Field experiments show that removing a dominant pollinator species alters foraging patterns among remaining pollinators, leading to changes in plant visitation and reduced biodiversity. This study highlights the importance of considering ecological cascades in predicting the impact of pollinator extinctions on ecosystems.
A 12-year field experiment in Nova Scotia found optimal fertilizer rates of 35 kg·ha-1 N, 40 kg·ha-1 P, and 30 kg·ha-1 K to maximize floral bud number, berries per stem, and berry yield. Higher fertilizers rates increased net profits by $490/ha.
Researchers at University of Chicago conducted a field experiment with over 14 million players, offering quantity discounts on virtual goods. The results showed that discounts had virtually no effect on the share of players making purchases and actually led to some customers spending less.
A new study finds that eyewitness confidence is a strong indicator of identification accuracy, contradicting earlier lab studies. High-confidence identifications are more likely to be correct, while low-confidence ones are more likely to be incorrect.
Researchers found that praising with an assertive tone and scolding with a non-assertive tone were the most effective ways to persuade people to wash their hands during flu season. The study, published in the Journal of Marketing Research, suggests that using an assertive tone can intensify the message and promote desired behavior.
A new study by UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business found that female employees gained more social capital from affiliation with high-status mentors than their male counterparts. This increased visibility and legitimacy made women more attractive network partners for their colleagues, leading to broader professional networks.
A new study found that considering product returns as a means of allocating resources can lead to significant increases in profits for firms. By targeting marketing efforts towards customers with positive attitudes toward returns, companies can reduce costs and maximize value from these interactions.
A new study by University of Vermont researcher David Jones found that job ads focusing on what employers can provide to applicants, such as work autonomy and career advancement, attract more highly rated applicants. These ads received almost three times as many high-quality applications as those emphasizing demands-abilities fit.
A French study found that men are more likely to help women wearing high heels than those wearing flat shoes. The study suggests that men associate high heels with femininity and attractiveness. Men were also quicker to start chatting with women wearing heels, indicating a stronger instinct to be helpful.
A field experiment conducted during the December 2011 parliamentary elections in Russia suggests that fraud had a significant impact on the results. The researchers estimate that fraud accounted for at least 11 percentage points of the vote recorded for the ruling United Russia party in Moscow, resulting in the party retaining its majo...
A new study found that specific planning is less effective for achieving multiple goals due to increased obstacles and constraints. However, people who thought others had more goals than they did were more likely to benefit from planning and see their own goals as manageable.
A new study published in the Journal of Consumer Research reveals that crowding and accidental touch can negatively impact consumer behavior. Researchers found that customers who were brushed lightly or stood near others but not touched left stores with a negative view of products.
William Bertozzi, a renowned MIT professor, has been awarded the inaugural JSA Outstanding Nuclear Physicist Award for his pioneering work in experimental electromagnetic nuclear physics. The award acknowledges his leadership and innovative techniques that have advanced the field of nuclear physics.
The National Ecological Observatory Network has selected candidate core wildland sites across the United States for deployment, with a focus on understanding climate change and its impacts on ecology. The selected sites will host distributed sensor networks and experiments to record and archive ecological data for at least 30 years.
In response to a parasitic attack, male crickets on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai developed silent wings, allowing them to mate with females despite the loss of their sexual signal. The new behavior enabled males to capitalize on the few remaining callers and escape the deadly fly, ensuring evolutionary success.
Scientists detected powerful lightning activity in Hurricane Emily's eye-wall and surrounding storms, with electric fields exceeding 8 kilovolts per meter. This finding has generated interest in understanding the link between lightning and hurricane development, intensification, and behavior.
Lei Xu's experiment reveals that low atmospheric pressure affects the splash process, leading to a new understanding of fundamental mechanisms for splash formation. The discovery has implications for applications in technological situations where splashing occurs, such as combustion and ink-jet printing.
Scientists experiment with materials in space to study structure, properties and processing methods. These experiments have led to new understanding of semi-conductors, metallic-electronic crystals and improved X-ray and infrared sensors.
A multidisciplinary team is building an experimental facility to test the effects of combined ozone and carbon dioxide on forest stands. The project aims to understand how trees will respond to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide in conjunction with other pollutants, such as tropospheric ozone.