RÉSUMÉ
Individuals regularly struggle to save for retirement. Using a large-scale field experiment ( N = 97 , 149 ) in Mexico, we test the effectiveness of several behavioral interventions relative to existing policy and each other geared toward improving voluntary retirement savings contributions. We find that an intervention framing savings as a way to secure one's family future significantly improves contribution rates. We leverage recursive partitioning techniques and identify that the overall positive treatment effect masks subpopulations where the treatment is even more effective and other groups where the treatment has a significant negative effect, decreasing contribution rates. Accounting for this variation is significant for theoretical and policy development as well as firm profitability. Our work also provides a methodological framework for how to better design, scale, and deploy behavioral interventions to maximize their effectiveness.
RÉSUMÉ
Under-detection of HIV/AIDS still burdens many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Our randomized trial investigated the effects of financial incentives and a behavioral nudge to induce HIV testing and learning HIV status in Ecuador. In the control group, 12.2% of participants agreed to testing, and 5.3% learned results. A financial incentive paid at testing increased the fraction of participants tested by 50.1 percentage points (95% CI 38.8 to 61.4) and the fraction who learned their status by 8.9 percentage points (95% CI 5.3 to 12.5); the nudge had no effect. The HIV-positive rate was 1.2% in the control group, and incentives prompted a 4.7 percentage point (95% CI 0.5 to 8.9) higher proportion of HIV-positive detection. Incentives also induced earlier testing, suggesting reduced procrastination. This suggests that information with appropriately timed small financial incentives can improve HIV testing and detection of new cases in the general population in LMIC settings.