Research

Working papers

Evaluating the Impact of Preschool on Patience, Time Inconsistency and Commitment Demand
Amanda Chuan, Anya Samek & Shreemayi Samujjwala
Revise and resubmit, Experimental Economics

Draft

Abstract

We evaluate patience, time inconsistency and commitment demand among children. We first show that patience at ages 5–10 predicts reading scores up to 4 years later, even after controlling for prior cognition and executive function. Time inconsistency and commitment demand do not predict reading scores. Second, we evaluate whether preschool affects patience. We leverage a field experiment that randomized children to different preschool curricula. We find that the preschool curriculum focused on self-regulation improved patience overall relative to the control group. Further, preschool helps children use commitment devices to manage their time inconsistency, but does not affect time inconsistency directly.

Risk Compensation among Men in Zambia’s National Program of Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision
Nicolas Grau, Paul Hewett, Shreemayi Samujjwala & Petra Todd
Under review

Draft

Abstract

After initial RCTs demonstrated the effectiveness of voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) in reducing HIV transmission, 14 eastern and southern African countries implemented VMMC programs on a broad scale. Zambia was one of the first countries to adopt VMMC as part of its HIV prevention strategy. However, the demand for VMMC fell short of initial projections and there were also concerns that men may have increased their risky sexual behaviors after getting the procedure, offsetting the HIV risk reduction benefits. This paper uses a new longitudinal dataset for Zambia to investigate the determinants of VMMC demand and to test for risk compensation in the context of Zambia’s largescale VMMC implementation. The results show that most men understand VMMC benefits but express concerns about potential discomfort and missing work. Also, VMMC demand depends significantly on clinic proximity. Using six different measures of risky behavior and a variety of econometric panel data estimators, including ones that allow for unobserved heterogeneity and endogeneity, we find robust evidence that men who obtain VMMC do not increase risky behavior.

Indigenous Teacher Supply and Cognitive Outcomes: Evidence from Mexico’s Bilingual Education System
Ornella Darova & Shreemayi Samujjwala
Draft available upon request

Abstract

This paper examines the effectiveness of Mexico's specialized Bachelor's Degree in Primary Education with an Intercultural Bilingual Focus (LEPIB) in addressing the shortage of qualified indigenous teachers and its subsequent impact on the cognitive outcomes of indigenous children. Implemented in 2004, this program aimed to improve educational quality in Mexico's Intercultural Bilingual Education (IBE) system, which serves a significant indigenous population. Exploiting the staggered rollout across states, using a difference-in-differences approach, we find that LEPIB increased the number of teachers with a bachelor’s degree in indigenous schools by 0.3 teachers per school relative to control states by 2015 — equivalent to an increase of about 2 qualified teachers per municipality. We assess the impact of this exogenous variation in the supply of qualified teachers on students’ cognitive outcomes and find that it translated into gains of 0.14 and 0.17 standard deviations in Mathematics and Spanish national standardized tests, respectively. Using a unique dataset of survey responses from students and parents, we examine mechanisms through which teacher qualifications affect students' achievement. The mechanism analysis reveals that increased teacher qualifications improved classroom practices and reduced student absenteeism, despite a reduction in parental engagement.

Work in progress

Clement Joubert & Shreemayi Samujjwala, “Effects of Universal Social Pension on Labor Market Outcomes”