Blog

News

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.

How Safe Spaces for Girls Impact Adolescent Pregnancy and School Enrollment in Sierra Leone During an Epidemic

Researchers evaluated the impact of a club-based safe space and life skills program on girls' time use, pregnancy rates, and school enrollment during the 2014–2016 Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone. While girls in the comparison group spent more time with men, had more pregnancies, and had lower school...

The Impact of Social Media Access on Political Support in Uganda

Jeremy Bowles
Subsidized social media access reduced support for the ruling party among prior supporters by exposing them to perspectives critical of the government.

Reducing Parent-School Information Gaps and Improving Education Outcomes: Evidence from High-Frequency Text Messages

Samuel Berlinski
Mattias Busso
Claudia Martinez
Researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to test the impact of regular informational text messages to parents on children’s academic performance. The intervention improved math grades and attendance, although it did not impact negative classroom behavior on average. These effects were generally...

Separating Diagnosis and Treatment: Using Incentives to Improve Malaria Care in Kenya

Researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to test the impact of incentives for both malaria testing and treatment on appropriate care in Kenya. The incentive structure was highly cost-effective, lowering costs by reducing the number of malaria-negative patients taking unnecessary medications.

Improving Immunization Coverage Through Incentives, Reminders, and Social Networks in India

Victor Chernozhukov
Suresh Dalpath
Mert Demirer
Iván Fernández-Val
Matthew Jackson
Francine Loza
Anna Schrimpf
Maheshwor Shrestha
Researchers worked with the state government to evaluate the impact of three programs to build demand for vaccination: local immunization ambassadors, small, non-financial incentives, and tailored SMS reminders. The most effective policy option increased measles vaccination by approximately 55...

The Impact of Deliberative Political Campaigns on Voter Behavior in the Philippines

Cecilia Pe Lero
Gabriel López-Moctezuma
Daniel Rubenson
Researchers partnered with two political parties in the Philippines to evaluate the effect of deliberative campaigns on voter turnout and vote shares. While deliberative town halls did not increase voter turnout, results suggest that they were effective in increasing vote shares by changing voters’...

Time Inconsistency and Saving among Low-Income Tax Filers in the United States

Present-biased preferences, or the tendency to value immediate rewards over greater benefits in the future, may contribute to persistent poverty, preventing low-income households from accumulating savings, making investments, and rationing their resources over time. However, there is little rigorous...