Information for Vision: A Survey Experiment Nudging Low-Income Students to Wear Eyeglasses

• In Event: Survey Development in Education: Using Surveys With Students and Parents

Abstract

This study uses a randomized survey experiment to examine the effectiveness of informational nudges about eyeglasses on middle-school students’ decisions to purchase glasses when needed. With a sample of 8,808 low-income middle school students in China, the experimental results show that the short-term impact of wearing glasses on academic achievement (vs. long-term impact or social norm) is the most effective information for students. We also find heterogeneity in peer effects, as well as in how students with different characteristics respond to various types of information. Our results provide novel evidence of the importance of precise, personalized information nudges in improving students' educational input and academic achievement.

Authors

• Jiusheng Zhu, Beijing Normal University

• Xinjie Zhang, Vanderbilt University

• Xiaoyang Ye, Brown University