Delayed effects on migration intentions in an information provision experiment in Ghana

Arbeitspapier

We report experimental results from Ghana, where treated subjects received information on regional income differentials. We do not see an effect on migration intentions directly after the intervention, but the effect of the treatment unfolds over time. Eighteen months later, subjects assigned to receive income information are on average significantly less likely to express enthusiasm for moving to another region, because individuals that had inaccurately high expectations about incomes elsewhere compared to their current place of residence are now more likely to want to forgo relocation. Contrary to common claims that effects observed in light-touch information experiments are likely to dissipate quickly, we suggest that some types of content in high-stakes domains such as migration can take time to reverberate and be incorporated into individuals' decision calculus. We also discuss that delayed effects may be uncommonly observed because long-term follow-ups are rare in the absence of short-term effects.

Object Details

• ISBN: 978-3-96973-219-9
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: Ruhr Economic Papers ; No. 1050

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials ; Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
• Subject: Delayed effects ; information provision ; migration intentions

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Frohnweiler, Sarah ; Beber, Bernd ; Ebert, Cara
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung
• (where): Essen
• (when): 2023

Further information

• DOI: doi:10.4419/96973219
• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/280422
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:45 AM CET