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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.

Sending Text Messages to Parents to Improve Student Achievement in Middle and High Schools in the United States

A randomized evaluation of the text alert program showed that the intervention reduced course failures, increased class attendance and improved in-class exam scores. The effects are larger for students with below-average GPAs and students in high school, and positive effects persist into the second...

The Effect of Higher Credit Card Interest Rates on Borrowers’ Demand and Debt in the UK

Gyöngyi Lóránth
Researchers studied the effects of a credit card interest rate increase among low-income subprime borrowers in the UK to assess its impact on credit card demand, overall indebtedness, and borrowers’ ability to pay. They found that following the rate hike, subprime borrowers who appeared to be more...

The Effect of Health Insurance on Child Labor in Pakistan

As of 2016, an estimated 151.6 million children aged 5 to 17 were engaged in child labor globally. For low-income households, economic shocks such as expensive accidents or illness are important determinants of child labor, as parents might have to send children to work for additional income...

Anonymity or Distance? Removing Obstacles to Youth Employment in Urban Ethiopia

Researchers evaluated and compared the impact of two different job search assistance policies on employment outcomes for young job seekers in Addis Ababa. Helping youth signal their skills to employers improved their earnings and job duration four years later, especially for youth who would usually...

Cognitive Behavioral Training to Improve Mental Health Among Conflict-Affected Entrepreneurs in Pakistan

Tasmia Rahman
Priyam Saraf
Mental health, well-being, and lasting economic outcomes are intimately connected, and in conflict-affected areas, entrepreneurs of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME) experience chronic stress and poor mental health on a regular basis. Researchers evaluated the effects of supplementing a cash...

Providing a Collaborative Civic Education Program to Students in France, Greece, and Spain

Sandra McNally
Jenifer Ruiz-Valenzuela
Daniel Santín
Researchers evaluated the impact of a civic education program involving learning-by-doing and student-centered teaching approaches in middle schools across three European countries. The program increased students’ academic performance, respect for school rules, and friendship networks with people...

The Impact of Exposure to Discordant Media on Political Polarization in Turkey

Ahmet Akbiyik
Jeremy Bowles
Researchers evaluated the impact of exposure to and incentives to consume discordant media on political attitudes and behaviors in Turkey. Participants changed their media consumption habits, trusted discordant media sources more, and had less polarized attitudes towards the government, but did not...

Community Service Grants to Foster Social and Economic Integration for Youth in Kazakhstan

In Kazakhstan, researchers tested whether offering youth community service grants and training impacted their level of community engagement, pro-social behavior, life skills, and labor market outcomes. Engaging youth in civic service and/or training had little to no effect on these outcomes one-year...