Indirect Disaster Exposure and Psycho-Economic Impact: Evidence from a Laboratory Survey Experiment

This project examines the causal impact of exposure to distant disaster news on psychological well-being and economic behavior. While prior research has documented long-term effects of direct disaster exposure on human capital, health, and risk preferences (Feeny et al., 2021; Caruso, 2017; Kim & Lee, 2014), and short-term effects on trust and redistribution (Rahman et al., 2020; Gualtieri et al., 2019), little is known about whether disasters occurring elsewhere affect individuals indirectly through media coverage.

We implement a randomized lab-in-the-field experiment with adult participants (≥18) recruited via stratified random sampling. Baseline measures (PHQ-9, GAD-7, mood scale) and stated trust/cooperation vignettes establish pre-treatment conditions. Participants are then randomly assigned to treatment (3-minute disaster news video plus vignette) or control (neutral content). Post-treatment outcomes include state affect (PANAS short), state anxiety, and incentivized behavioral tasks: a one-shot trust game and a public-goods contribution.

• Research Project