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Browse news articles about J-PAL and our affiliated professors, and read our press releases and monthly global and research newsletters. For media inquiries, please email us.

Cutting Through the Clutter: Making Insurance Choices Easier in the United States

Jeffrey Kling
Eldar Shafir
Lee Vermeulen
Marian Wrobel
Researchers evaluated the effect of personalized options information on seniors' plan choices. They found that people who received personalized information were more likely to change plans, resulting in an average saving of US$100 per year. This suggests that direct information delivery can decrease...

Weekday vs. Weekend Text-Based Parenting Support in the United States

Hans Fricke
David Song
Ben York
In Texas, researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to test the impact of text message-based parenting support delivered at different times of the week on young children’s literacy and numeracy development. They found that text messages delivered on weekends were best for supporting children...

Circumcision, Information, and HIV Prevention in Malawi

Researchers evaluated an information campaign in rural Malawi to examine the impact of providing information about voluntary medical male circumcision and HIV transmission risk on beliefs and sexual behavior. The program reduced risky sexual behavior among uncircumcised men, but did not increase...

Laser-Branding Technologies to Increase the Quality of Watermelons in Chinese Markets

Researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to test the impact of different types of labels to signal product quality on sellers’ ability to develop a reputation for consistently selling high-quality watermelons in China. The more expensive laser-cut label influenced sellers to provide higher...

Evaluating the Impact on Anemia of Making Double Fortified Salt Available in Bihar, India

Sharon Barnhardt
In Bihar, India, researchers examined how double fortified salt could be most effectively priced, marketed, and distributed in order to have the greatest impact on a range of health, education, and economic outcomes.

Increasing the Demand for Workers with a Criminal Record in the United States

Workers with criminal records face substantially lower chances of securing employment compared to similar workers without such records. Researchers evaluated the effectiveness of different approaches, including wage subsidies, crime and safety insurance, past performance reviews, criminal record...

Contracting for Health in Cambodia

Indu Bhushan
Erik Bloom
David Clingingsmith
Rathavuth Hong
Elizabeth King
Brad Schwartz