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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.

Dependence Duration and Labor Market Conditions: Evidence from the United States

Researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to assess the role of employer behavior in generating "negative duration dependence"—the adverse effect of longer unemployment spells—by sending fictitious resumes to real job postings in 100 U.S. cities. Callback rates declined sharply over the first...

Evaluating the Impact of Play-Based Learning on Early Childhood Development in South Africa

In KwaZulu-Natal, researchers are measuring the impact of the Six Bricks program, which promotes structured play using manipulative bricks combined with a set of carefully designed pedagogical activities, on preschoolers' executive function skills.

Human-AI Cooperation to Improve Tutoring in the United States

Dora Demszky
Ana Ribeiro
Carly Robinson
Rose E. Wang
In collaboration with FEV Tutor, researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to study whether Tutor CoPilot, an AI language model tool, could enhance tutoring quality and improve student learning outcomes in math. Researchers found that tutor access to Tutor CoPilot improved student learning...

Evaluating the Impact of Graduation on Fertility and Child Health in Malawi

Moritz Poll
Hyun Soo Suh
In partnership with Yamba Malawi, researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to test the impact of a Graduation-style program, integrating cash transfers, child health and business training, preventive health and fertility coaching, and village savings groups, on women’s livelihoods, empowerment...

The Impact of Mass Media and Family Planning Campaigns on Contraception Use in Burkina Faso

Researchers evaluated the impact impact of both general exposure to mass media and an intensive family planning campaign on contraception. Increasing exposure to general mass media reduced contraception use in this context. However, a high-quality family planning radio campaign offset the negative...

Adoption of Commitment Savings Accounts Among Garment Workers in Bangladesh

Martin Kanz
Leora Klapper
Researchers are evaluating the demand for a commitment savings product among garment workers and evaluating whether employer influence and expected feedback to employers impacts sign-up decisions.

Information to Increase Fuel Efficient Car Purchases in the United States

Researchers studied the impact of providing information about fuel costs on consumers’ car purchases. Providing information about fuel costs had no effect on the fuel efficiency of the vehicles consumers chose to buy.

The Impact of Cash Transfers on Delivery Planning and Maternal Care Quality in Kenya

Ginger Golub
Margaret E Kruk
Katherine Lofgren
George N. Omondi
Claire Rothschild
Researchers evaluated whether cash transfers and decision-making nudges could help low-income pregnant women in Nairobi, Kenya deliver where they wanted and in a high-quality facility. They found that cash transfers, conditioned on precommitment to a delivery facility, led to more effective birth...