Psychological Frictions and the Incomplete Take-Up of Social Benefits: Evidence from an IRS Field Experiment

被引:259
|
作者
Bhargava, Saurabh [1 ]
Manoli, Dayanand [2 ]
机构
[1] Carnegie Mellon Univ, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 USA
[2] Univ Texas Austin, Austin, TX 78712 USA
来源
AMERICAN ECONOMIC REVIEW | 2015年 / 105卷 / 11期
关键词
INCOME-TAX CREDIT; ACHIEVEMENT EVIDENCE; INFORMATION; PARTICIPATION; EITC; DECISIONS; INSURANCE; KNOWLEDGE; SALIENCE; SAVINGS;
D O I
10.1257/aer.20121493
中图分类号
F [经济];
学科分类号
02 ;
摘要
We address the role of "psychological frictions" in the incomplete take-up of EITC benefits with an IRS field experiment. We specifically assess the influence of program confusion, informational complexity, and stigma by evaluating response to experimental mailings distributed to 35,050 tax filers who failed to claim $26 million despite an initial notice. While the mere receipt of the mailing, simplification, and the heightened salience of benefits led to substantial additional claiming, attempts to reduce perceived costs of stigma, application, and audits did not. The study, and accompanying surveys, suggests that low program awareness/understanding and informational complexity contribute to the puzzle of low take-up.
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页码:3489 / 3529
页数:41
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