Search our database of 1,200+ summaries of randomized evaluations conducted by our affiliates in 100 countries. To browse key policy recommendations from a subset of these evaluations, visit the Policy Publications tab above.

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Man walking with phone in hand and with headphones on

Combating Misinformation using Fact-Checking via WhatsApp in South Africa

Jeremy Bowles
Kevin Croke
Horacio Larreguy
Shelley Liu
John Marshall
Researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to assess how fact-checks regularly sent to participants through WhatsApp can affect their ability to discern false information, as well as their beliefs and attitudes related to topics subject to viral misinformation, particularly Covid-19. Overall, the...
Students participate in a Big Word Club activity

Evaluating the Impact of a Tech-Based Early Childhood Vocabulary Program in the United States

Ariel Kalil
Susan Mayer
Philip Oreopoulos
Rohen Shah
Researchers evaluated the impact of a vocabulary improvement “edutainment” program for young children, Big Word Club, on children’s receptive vocabulary. Researchers found that the Big Word Club increased students’ knowledge and retention of words included in the program without detracting from...
Children wash hands in Bangladesh.

Handwashing and Behavior Change in Bangladesh

Reshmaan Hussam
Dayea Oh
Researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to test the impact of an edutainment intervention at schools and the provision of handwashing resources at home on handwashing at school and at home. These findings suggest that encouraging behavior change in one setting may crowd out like behavior in...
The actors and film crew of "My Sunshine", a short movie used as the edutainment campaign material in this intervention

Edutainment Campaigns to Address Social Norms and Perceptions about Child Marriage in Indonesia

Milda Irhamni
Gumilang Aryo Sahadewo
Researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to test the impact of an entertainment-education short film informational campaign (i.e. edutainment campaign) designed to inform adolescent girls and parents of the costs of child marriage on the norms and perceptions about child marriage in Indonesia...
Man listening to radio

Using Media to Change Norms and Behaviors in Post-Genocide Rwanda

Researchers conducted a randomized evaluation in Rwanda to examine how important aspects of cultural practice do or do not change in the wake of exposure to media messages delivered through a radio soap opera drama. While the radio program had little effect on changing individual beliefs and...
Female hawkers selling banana in Tanzania.

Mass Media Experiments to Reduce Violence Against Women in Tanzania

Donald Green
Dylan Groves
Rachel Jones
Constantine Manda
Building on an earlier study in Uganda, researchers are working with Innovations for Poverty Action to measure the impact of radio programming on gender-related attitudes and behaviors.

Evaluating the Effects of Entrepreneurship Edutainment in Egypt

Ghada Barsoum
Bruno Crépon
Paul Dyer
Drew Gardiner
Bastien Michel
Marwa Moaz
William Pariente
Fostering youth entrepreneurship could help decrease youth unemployment. However, entrepreneurs face a number of barriers to launching and expanding their businesses. Researchers introduced a youth entrepreneurship reality TV show to evaluate the effects of a television show and entrepreneurial...

MTV Shuga: Changing Social Norms and Behaviors with Entertainment Education in Nigeria

Abhijit Banerjee
Eliana La Ferrara
Victor Orozco
Can television shows change how people think and act? In Nigeria, researchers evaluated the impact of MTV Shuga, a drama featuring educational storylines about HIV/AIDS on viewers’ sexual knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. The study shows that exposure to MTV Shuga improved viewers’ knowledge and...