Publication:
Psychology, Skills, or Cash?: Evidence on Complementary Investments for Anti-Poverty Programs

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dc.contributor.authorLang, Megan
dc.contributor.authorSoule, Edward
dc.contributor.authorTinsley, Catherine H.
dc.date.accessioned2023-07-13T17:31:49Z
dc.date.available2023-07-13T17:31:49Z
dc.date.issued2023-07-13
dc.description.abstractGrowing evidence on the links between poverty and psychology has prompted increased interest in the psychosocial impacts of economic interventions and the economic impacts of psychologically motivated interventions. In practice, psychologically motivated programs typically comprise one of many components in multifaceted poverty alleviation programs. This paper asks, what are the benefits of allocating complementary, marginal investments in anti-poverty programs towards skills development or psychologically-targeted interventions versus direct economic assistance The paper benchmarks two program-based investments against an unconditional cash transfer by randomly assigning participants in an existing anti-poverty program to one of three groups. The first is psychologically-targeted. It focuses on promoting self-confidence, sense of value and self-worth, and perceived social status. The second targets specific skills: goal setting, public speaking, and networking. Both program-based investments cost around USD \$35 per participant, motivating a benchmark, cost-equivalent unconditional cash transfer. The findings show that the psychologically-targeted intervention significantly improves psychosocial outcomes but shows no economic gains relative to cash, while the skills-based program improves economic outcomes with few effects on psychosocial outcomes. The results illustrate that low-cost psychologically-targeted and skills-based interventions can be effective marginal investments relative to a small cash transfer, but their benefits may accrue in different domains.en
dc.identifierhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099803306262336142/IDU0191a83d105c1504a1409e170efcb5c99fde1
dc.identifier.doi10.1596/1813-9450-10503
dc.identifier.urihttps://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/40003
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherWorld Bank, Washington, DC
dc.relation.ispartofseriesPolicy Research Working Papers; 10503
dc.rightsCC BY 3.0 IGO
dc.rights.holderWorld Bank
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/
dc.subjectPOVERTY AND PSYCHOLOGY
dc.subjectCASH TRANSFER
dc.subjectPSYCHOSOCIAL WELLBEING
dc.subjectPSYCHOLOGICALLY MOTIVATED INTERVENTION
dc.subjectECONOMIC INTERVENTION
dc.subjectSKILL MOTIVATED INTERVENTION
dc.titlePsychology, Skills, or Cash?en
dc.title.subtitleEvidence on Complementary Investments for Anti-Poverty Programsen
dc.typeWorking Paper
dspace.entity.typePublication
okr.crossref.titlePsychology, Skills, or Cash?: Evidence on Complementary Investments for Anti-Poverty Programs
okr.date.disclosure2023-06-26
okr.date.lastmodified2023-06-26T00:00:00Zen
okr.doctypePolicy Research Working Paper
okr.doctypePublications & Research
okr.docurlhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099803306262336142/IDU0191a83d105c1504a1409e170efcb5c99fde1
okr.guid099803306262336142
okr.identifier.docmidIDU-191a83d1-5c15-4a14-9e17-efcb5c99fde1
okr.identifier.doi10.1596/1813-9450-10503
okr.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1596/1813-9450-10503
okr.identifier.externaldocumentum34102317
okr.identifier.internaldocumentum34102317
okr.identifier.reportWPS10503
okr.import.id1073
okr.importedtrueen
okr.language.supporteden
okr.pdfurlhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099803306262336142/pdf/IDU0191a83d105c1504a1409e170efcb5c99fde1.pdfen
okr.topicPoverty Reduction::Poverty Monitoring & Analysis
okr.topicSocial Development::Poverty and Social Impact Analysis
okr.topicSocial Development::Psychology
okr.unitDEC-Sustainability & Infrastruct (DECSI)
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