Universität zu Köln

Riedmiller, Sebastian ORCID: 0009-0007-8590-1869 (2025). Survey-Guided Policy Design: An Economic Approach to Student Aid and Beyond. PhD thesis, Universität zu Köln.

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Abstract

In this dissertation, I use research-guided surveys to systematically analyze the problems or barriers that prevent individuals from acting in line with a policy goal. Based on this evidence, I design policy interventions that address these problems to achieve behavioral change. These interventions are tested in randomized controlled trials to evaluate their effectiveness. By using survey methods to identify problems and design interventions before evaluating their effectiveness, I show how survey evidence can help to inform policy ex-ante. In Chapter 2, I provide a general, parsimonious survey tool to predict intervention effectiveness and design effective intervention accordingly. Then, I turn to the applied case of student aid non-take-up with a special focus on misperceptions in Chapter 3, and evaluate an information intervention to resolve misperceptions and increase take-up of student aid in Chapter 4.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD thesis)
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Riedmiller, Sebastian s.riedmiller@hotmail.com orcid.org/0009-0007-8590-1869 UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-781714
Date:	2025
Language:	English
Faculty:	Faculty of Management, Economy and Social Sciences
Divisions:	Externe Einrichtungen
Subjects:	Psychology Social sciences Political science Economics Public administration Education
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language behavioral economics English experimental economics English intervention design English field experiments English education economics English student aid take-up English
Date of oral exam:	29 April 2025
Referee:	Name Academic Title Sutter, Matthias Prof. Dr. Pinger, Pia Prof. Dr.
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/78171