Locus of Control and Economic Decision-Making: A Field Experiment in Odisha, India
Abstract
We study psychological impediments that make it difficult to change be-
haviour. In particular, we evaluate the impact of a randomised psychological
intervention designed to target locus of control{an individual's belief in their
own ability to in influence their outcomes - on the adoption of climate resilient
technologies. In the control farmers receive a standard agricultural education.
Treatment farmers are assigned to one of three treatments where they receive
agricultural training and either: a psychological information treatment providing
tools to change belief about one's sense of control, a crop simulation app - al-
lowing farmers to simulate their agricultural decisions and a treatment with both
combined. Our sample consists of 1674 farmers from 252 villages in Odisha, India.
We nd that at baseline, the majority do not believe they can inuence their agricultural
outcomes. However, the interventions have little impact on agricultural behaviour,
locus of control or aspirations. We then study explanations.
Publisher
University of Gothenburg
Other description
JEL Codes: D01, D91, O13
Collections
View/ Open
Date
2023-04Author
Ahsan Jansson, Cecilia
Patil, Vikram
Vecci, Joe
Veettil, Prakashan Chellattan
Yashodha, Yashodha
Keywords
Psychological Impediments; Locus of Control; Agriculture
Publication type
report
ISSN
1403-2465
Series/Report no.
Working Papers in Economics
833
Language
eng