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SUMMARY:Information-Sharing within Couples: Evidence from a Sequential Sur
 vey of Spouses  - Basit Zafar (University of Michigan)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20250226T123000Z
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20250226T140000Z
UID:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/cb7b0065-10be-4062-9d60-86c043687a90/
DESCRIPTION:: Little is known about the extent of information-sharing with
 in couples\, and the drivers of information transmission. To provide new e
 vidence on this topic\, we conduct an online survey of 2\,200 middle-aged 
 couples in the US. Our focus is on expectations about Social Security bene
 fits. We first show that expectations about a given spouse’s Social Secu
 rity benefits are often misaligned within a couple: the correlation betwee
 n partners’ expectations is 0.68\, significantly below full agreement. W
 e present descriptive evidence of frictions driving the imperfect correlat
 ion. To establish causal evidence of frictions and information sharing\, w
 e implement a randomized information experiment paired with a sequential s
 urvey design\, where the index spouse receives targeted information\, and 
 the other is surveyed a few days later. Our findings reveal that informati
 on provided to the index spouse partially spills over to their partner\, w
 ith the average treatment effect on the second spouse’s expectations bei
 ng about half that observed for the index spouse. Using detailed survey da
 ta on measures of communication frictions\, cognitive barriers\, and the v
 alue of information\, we identify key drivers of information sharing. Spil
 lovers are larger when communication barriers are low and when the informa
 tion is particularly valuable.\n\nWritten with Adeline Delavande (Universi
 ty of Technology Sydney) and Gizem Kosar (Federal Reserve Bank of New York
 )\nSpeakers:\nBasit Zafar (University of Michigan)
LOCATION:Manor Road Building (Seminar Room G (third floor))\, Manor Road O
 X1 3UQ
TZID:Europe/London
URL:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/cb7b0065-10be-4062-9d60-86c043687a90/
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DESCRIPTION:Talk:Information-Sharing within Couples: Evidence from a Seque
 ntial Survey of Spouses  - Basit Zafar (University of Michigan)
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