The time sensitivity of aspirational interventions: Evidence from a role-modeling RCT
Prateek Chandra Bhan, Max Schroeder, Damiano Turchet, Jinglin Wen · 2026
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Description
Prateek Chandra Bhan and colleagues report a 2026 randomized trial on whether timing matters for aspiration-raising help. Role models can lift people's ambitions, but the effect may fade fast. The team tested a video-based role-modeling session among postgraduate students at a UK university during the Covid-19 pandemic, comparing it with a control group.
Aspirations rose right after the video. Self-reported effort rose later, after a delay. But both gains faded away within a few weeks. The authors describe the evidence as suggestive rather than firm. Their lesson for program designers is practical: when the boost is delivered matters, and one-off sessions likely need reinforcement to last. The paper adds a caution to the optimism around cheap, light-touch motivation programs.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Prateek Chandra Bhan, Max Schroeder, Damiano Turchet, Jinglin Wen |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 31561 |
| LICENSE | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |