Research Interests: I am a development economist incorporating randomized experiments and large-text data analysis to study the behavioral response to social incentives in developing countries. 

Email: wangyiqian@uibe.edu.cn / wangyiqian94@gmail.com

Working Papers

1.  Trust or Stigmatization? Evidence From De-anonymizing Social Media in China with Ziang Xiao

Abstract: Anonymity protects the freedom of speech and facilitates intergroup communication on social media platforms. Meanwhile, burgeoning misinformation from anonymous sources stirs up public support for platforms to reduce anonymity and increase credibility. This article sheds light on this policy debate. Leveraging recent Chinese social media regulations and text analysis advancements, we find reducing anonymity substantially decreases politically marginalized groups' representation and exacerbates polarization. Further analysis explores channels through which the regulation amplified virtual identity-based discrimination and segregation. To interpret these findings, we develop a signaling model incorporating identity considerations when individuals support stigmatized dissent views. Revealing the marginalized identity augments stigmatization from the majority group, henceforth silencing dissenters from the marginalized group. These findings highlight the negative impacts of reducing anonymity: impeding intergroup information transmission and intensifying political polarization. 

2. Informal Risk Sharing to Mitigate Local Environmental Risks with Prabhat Barnwal and Lex van Geen (Accepted at Journal of Development Economics based on pre-registration)

Abstract: Informal risk sharing between households can help smooth consumption during shocks. We study how ex-ante commitments to mutually insure each other's consumption shape risk-sharing in the context of an environmental disaster -- arsenic poisoning of groundwater wells in Bangladesh. Arsenic contamination of wells occurs naturally, varies at short distances, and is hard to predict without testing. Once households find out their well is contaminated, they can potentially switch to a nearby well that is lower in arsenic. In a field experiment conducted across 135 village communities in rural Bangladesh, we evaluate the impact of facilitating ex-ante commitments between household pairs to share safe water. These commitments -- formed before households get to know their own well's arsenic status -- are equivalent to a contract to share water. We implemented this intervention right before the roll-out of a nationwide program to test wells for arsenic. In addition, a two-part intervention informs households about subsequent peer-monitoring of these commitments before testing and implements the peer-monitoring after testing. This design allows us to study how risk-sharing networks evolve under different enforcement environments.

Publications

1. Assessment of Excess Mortality and Household Income in Rural Bangladesh During the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020.  JAMA Network Open, 2021.  (with Prabhat Barnwal, Yuling Yao, Nishat Akter Juy, Shabib Raihan, Mohammad Ashraful Haque, and Alexander van Geen) 

Work in progress

1. Peer Effects in Adoption of Preventive Measures: Evidence from Rural Bangladesh with Prabhat Barnwal and Lex van Geen 

Abstract: We study how societal interactions influence the adoption of preventive health measures. We document three main findings using social networks and geo-location data collected in in-person and phone surveys from 135 villages in rural Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic. First, our results suggest that socially connected and geographically nearby households induce households' adoption of preventive health measures. Second, such peer effects only exist for preventive measures that can be publicly observed. Third, these peer effects tend to disappear when social and geographic distance between households increases. Our findings suggest that the social incentives underlying decisions to adopt preventive health measures are important.

2. Experimenter's demand in the unconditional cash transfer to improve the health technology investment with Prabhat Barnwal and Lex van Geen 

Funded by: National Science Foundation Dissertation Improvement Grant

Abstract: Groundwater arsenic contamination in Bangladesh poses a significant health threat to millions of households. Numerous studies have shown that installing deep wells can effectively reduce the consumption of arsenic-contaminated water. However, households' adoption of deep wells is hindered by barriers such as low arsenic awareness and financial constraints. To address these challenges, we design a randomized trial that provides local contamination information and financial. Additionally, we vary the survey process to examine the impact of experimenters’ demands on households’ decisions regarding drilling depth. This approach aims to determine if certain behavioral concerns, which may affect the experiment's external validity, complicate decision-making when provided with information and financial support. Ultimately, this experiment seeks to identify the optimal strategy for incentivizing household investment in health-preventive technology, offering valuable insights for policymakers in regions facing similar environmental health challenges.