Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 26, 2026
09:26
Disruption of Frontal Lobe Neural Synchrony During Cognitive Control by Alcohol Intoxication
Published on: February 6, 2019
22.0K
Alcohol and Self-Control: A Field Experiment in India
1Department of Economics, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142.
The American Economic Review
|April 17, 2019
Summary
Low-income Indian workers, including cycle-rickshaw drivers, demonstrated a demand for commitment to sobriety. Incentives reduced daytime drinking, significantly increasing savings by 50% without impacting earnings.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Economics
- Public Health
- Development Economics
Background:
- Alcohol consumption poses significant challenges for low-income populations, impacting health and economic stability.
- Understanding self-control mechanisms is crucial for designing effective interventions in developing countries.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the demand for commitment to sobriety among low-income workers in India.
- To assess the impact of sobriety incentives on alcohol consumption, labor supply, productivity, earnings, and savings.
Main Methods:
- A 3-week field experiment was conducted with 229 cycle-rickshaw drivers in India.
- Participants were offered monetary incentives contingent on remaining sober.
- Randomized controlled trial (RCT) design to evaluate the effect of sobriety incentives.
Main Results:
- A majority of participants were willing to forgo payments to commit to sobriety, indicating demand for self-control.
- Sobriety incentives significantly reduced daytime alcohol consumption.
- No significant changes were observed in labor supply, productivity, or earnings.
- Savings increased by 50% among those receiving incentives, exceeding changes explained by income and alcohol expenditure.
Conclusions:
- Self-commitment devices can be effective in reducing problematic daytime drinking among vulnerable populations.
- Reducing alcohol consumption, even without affecting labor supply, can lead to substantial improvements in savings and financial well-being.
- Findings suggest potential for targeted interventions to improve economic outcomes in low-income settings through behavioral economics principles.
Related Concept Videos
01:13Controls in Experiments
16.4K
When conducting an experiment, it is crucial to have control to reduce bias and accurately measure the dependent variables. It also marks the results more reliable. Controls are elements in an experiment that have the same characteristics as the treatment groups but are not affected by the independent variable. By sorting these data into control and experimental conditions, the relationship between the dependent and independent variables can be drawn. A randomized experiment always includes a...
16.4K
02:37Oxidation of Alcohols
15.8K
In this lesson, the oxidation of alcohols is discussed in depth. The various reagents used for oxidation of primary and secondary alcohols are detailed, and their mechanism of action is provided.
The process of oxidation in a chemical reaction is observed in any of the three forms:
The process of oxidation in a chemical reaction is observed in any of the three forms:
15.8K
02:29Ethers from Alcohols: Alcohol Dehydration and Williamson Ether Synthesis
12.8K
Overview
Ethers can be prepared from organic compounds by various methods. Some of them are discussed below,
Preparation of Ethers by Alcohol Dehydration
In this method, in the presence of protic acids, alcohol dehydrates to produce alkenes and ethers under different conditions. For example, in the presence of sulphuric acid, dehydration of ethanol at 413 K yields ethoxyethane, whereas it yields ethene at 443 K.
Ethers can be prepared from organic compounds by various methods. Some of them are discussed below,
Preparation of Ethers by Alcohol Dehydration
In this method, in the presence of protic acids, alcohol dehydrates to produce alkenes and ethers under different conditions. For example, in the presence of sulphuric acid, dehydration of ethanol at 413 K yields ethoxyethane, whereas it yields ethene at 443 K.
12.8K
02:31Protection of Alcohols
8.0K
This lesson delves into the concept of protection and deprotection of a functional group fundamental to synthetic organic chemistry. These phenomena are explained in the context of aliphatic and aromatic alcohols.
Protection
It defines a protecting group as the masking agent to make the more reactive species inert to a given set of conditions. This concept is depicted via the illustration of liquid flow through different outlets in an assembly of pipes. The analogy helps to understand the role...
Protection
It defines a protecting group as the masking agent to make the more reactive species inert to a given set of conditions. This concept is depicted via the illustration of liquid flow through different outlets in an assembly of pipes. The analogy helps to understand the role...
8.0K
01:12What is an Experiment?
17.6K
An experiment is a planned activity carried out under controlled conditions. The purpose of an experiment is to investigate the relationship between two variables. When one variable causes change in another, we call the first variable the explanatory or independent variable. The affected variable is called the response or dependent variable. In a randomized experiment, the researcher manipulates values of the explanatory variable and measures the resulting changes in the response variable. The...
17.6K
03:20The Stanford Prison Experiment
24.6K
The famous and controversial Stanford Prison Experiment, conducted by social psychologist Philip Zimbardo and his colleagues at Stanford University, demonstrated the power of social roles, social norms, and scripts.
24.6K