Information for vision: Experimental evidence on nudging low-income students to wear eyeglasses

Inaccurate information and biased beliefs about myopia and glasses-wearing can lead to low take-up of eyeglasses among myopic students. This paper provides experimental evidence on behavioral barriers affecting students’ belief updating and stated preferences regarding glasses-wearing. We conducted a lab-in-the-field experiment with 8262 middle school students in a remote, underdeveloped county in China to test four targeted information nudges. Among myopic students without glasses, information on glasses prices and the short-term academic benefits of wearing glasses was most effective. The nudges worked by updating beliefs or increasing the salience of myopia and glasses-wearing, with substantial heterogeneity by myopia duration, academic performance, and peer groups. Cost–benefit analysis shows that targeted nudges remain cost-effective even under conservative take-up assumptions. Our results provide evidence of the importance of precise, personalized information nudges in improving students’ educational input and academic achievement.