Synapse Lab Seminar: Locus of Control, Economic Decision-Making and Aspirations – A Field Experiment in Odisha, India

Locus of Control, Economic Decision-Making and Aspirations: A Field Experiment in Odisha, India (Working paper)

We study psychological impediments that make it difficult to change behaviour. 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 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 -- allowing 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 find that at baseline, the majority do not believe they can influence their agricultural outcomes. However, the interventions have little impact on agricultural behaviour, locus of control or aspirations. We then study explanations.