Authors
Lori Beaman, Ariel BenYishay, Jeremy Magruder, Ahmed Mushfiq Mobarak
Publication date
2021/6/1
Journal
American Economic Review
Volume
111
Issue
6
Pages
1918-1943
Publisher
American Economic Association
Description
Can targeting information to network-central farmers induce more adoption of a new agricultural technology? By combining social network data and a field experiment in 200 villages in Malawi, we find that targeting central farmers is important to spur the diffusion process. We also provide evidence of one explanation for why centrality matters: a diffusion process governed by complex contagion. Our results are consistent with a model in which many farmers need to learn from multiple people before they adopt themselves. This means that without proper targeting of information, the diffusion process can stall and technology adoption remains perpetually low. (JEL O13, O18, O33, Q12, Q16)
Total citations
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Scholar articles
L Beaman, A BenYishay, J Magruder, AM Mobarak - American Economic Review, 2021