Exploring Behavioral Effects of Priming Foreign Aid Dependency

Abstract

Does the extensive flow of aid to developing nations lead to changes in effort provision and honesty in recipient populations? While researchers have studied the effects of foreign aid on government processes and macroeconomic variables, few have explored the psychological effects of perceptions of dependency on individuals living in a country that receives large amounts of foreign assistance. In this study, we randomly assigned 266 residents of informal settlements in Nairobi to three different priming conditions that manipulated their perceptions of Kenya’s dependence on foreign aid. Participants in the two treatment conditions were exposed to arguments that Kenya is dependent on aid or that Kenya is self-sufficient, and those in the control condition were exposed to irrelevant information about ferryboats. We measured effects on effort provision, honesty, and a number of psychological variables. Overall, the results showed no significant effects of priming aid dependency on behavioral measures. We did find that individuals in the self-sufficiency priming condition had more positive implicit attitudes towards the United States. Implications for future research on the psychology of aid and dependency are discussed.