标题： 重视无露天排便的环境：印度基于规范干预的实验证据 显示英文标题

标题： Valuing Open Defecation Free Surroundings: Experimental Evidence from a Norm-Based Intervention in India

摘要： 露天排便与不良的健康结果、较低的认知能力和生产力有关，在印度普遍存在。 本文评估了一项随机的以规范为中心的干预措施在印度泰米尔纳德邦城郊地区实施的影响，该干预旨在提高人们对居住在露天排便较少地区的价值认同，通过愿意支付（WTP）进行衡量。 该干预旨在通过音频公告、墙绘、家庭访问和社区会议来改变对厕所使用的社会期望。 研究结果表明，人们愿意为迁移到露天排便较少的地区支付的金额显著增加。 在使用局部平均处理效应估计时，结果是一致的，其中考虑了控制区域可能存在溢出效应的情况。 它们也对研究期间当地社会政治事件可能导致的偏差和新冠导致的流失具有稳健性。 我们还观察到厕所拥有量和使用量显著增加。 在评估机制时，我们发现通过干预改变的经验期望（即个人对社区中厕所使用普遍性的看法）是主要的中介渠道之一。 规范期望（即个人对社区对厕所使用认可的看法）被发现影响有限。 这些发现强调了以规范为中心的干预措施的必要性，以推动信念的改变并实现长期可持续的卫生行为。 显示英文摘要

摘要： Open defecation, which is linked with poor health outcomes, lower cognitive ability and productivity, has been widespread in India. This paper assesses the impact of a randomized norm-centric intervention implemented in peri-urban areas of Tamil Nadu in India on raising the value attached to residence in areas with a lower prevalence of open defecation, measured through Willingness to Pay (WTP). The intervention aimed to change social expectations about toilet usage through audio announcements, wall paintings, household visits, and community meetings. The findings indicate a significant increase in the WTP for relocating to areas with lower prevalence of open defecation. The results are consistent when using local average treatment effect estimations wherein the possibility of spillovers in the control areas is accounted for. They are also robust to potential bias due to local socio-political events during the study period and COVID-led attrition. We further observe a significant increase in toilet ownership and usage. While assessing the mechanism, we find that change in empirical expectations through the intervention (what one believes about the prevalence of toilet usage in the community) is one of the primary mediating channels. Normative expectations (what one believes about community approval of toilet usage) are found to have limited effect. The findings underscore the need for norm-centric interventions to propel change in beliefs and achieve long-term and sustainable sanitation behavior.