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Is Patience Malleable via Educational Intervention? Evidence from Field Experiments

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Listed:
  • Tim Kaiser
  • Lukas Menkhoff
  • Luis Oberrauch

Abstract

We study the malleability of patience via educational interventions by aggregating evidence from earlier experiments in a meta-analysis and by conducting a field experiment. We find that the average effect of interventions on patience is positive but uncertain. The age of students explains a large share of between-study heterogeneity in treatment effects. Thus, we conduct a field experiment covering both youths and adults in Uganda. We find heterogenous effects by age: adults’ patience measured in incentivized tasks is unaffected by the intervention after 15 months follow-up, but we observe large effects on patience and estimated discount factors for youth.

Suggested Citation

  • Tim Kaiser & Lukas Menkhoff & Luis Oberrauch, 2022. "Is Patience Malleable via Educational Intervention? Evidence from Field Experiments," CESifo Working Paper Series 10080, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_10080
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. McKenzie, David & Mohpal, Aakash & Yang, Dean, 2022. "Aspirations and financial decisions: Experimental evidence from the Philippines," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    2. Sule Alan & Seda Ertac, 2018. "Fostering Patience in the Classroom: Results from Randomized Educational Intervention," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 126(5), pages 1865-1911.
    3. David Laibson, 1997. "Golden Eggs and Hyperbolic Discounting," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 112(2), pages 443-478.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    patience; time preferences; malleability; field experiment; educational intervention;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
    • D15 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Intertemporal Household Choice; Life Cycle Models and Saving
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education

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