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.  Online Anonymity under Stigmatization: Evidence from Geotagging Mandate in China with Mingzi Niu and Ziang Xiao

Previous Title: Trust or Stigmatization? Evidence From De-anonymizing Social Media in China

Presentation: BREAD ASIA (NUS); ESWC (Seoul)

Abstract: Social media platforms increasingly disclose users' geographic locations to combat bots and misinformation. Leveraging recent Chinese social media regulations and advances in large language models, we find that geographic disclosure, in the short run, reduces participation among non-mainland users and those with marginalized views, driving sizable opinion shifts towards the majority. To illustrate the underlying mechanism, we further develop a theoretical model in which two user groups make commenting decisions under different media slants. We show that disclosure heightens xenophobia sanctions, resulting in shifts in participation and opinion. Our findings thus highlight a critical trade-off: while location disclosure may mitigate online abuse, it alters the representativeness of social media data used to evaluate public opinion.

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 

Fieldwork in progress, funded by: National Science Foundation Dissertation Improvement Grant

Pre-registration: AEA registry

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.