Overconfidence, Trust, and Information-Seeking among Smallholder Farmers: Experimental Evidence from Ethiopia

B-Tier
Journal: Economic Development & Cultural Change
Year: 2023
Volume: 72
Issue: 1
Pages: 79 - 122

Authors (4)

Hiwot Mesfin (not in RePEc) Francesco Cecchi (not in RePEc) Eleonora Nillesen (Maastricht University) Nyasha Tirivayi (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

0.503 = (α=2.01 / 4 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

We investigate the role of overconfidence and trust in farmers’ information-seeking behavior using a lab-in-the-field experiment in Ethiopia. Our results show that overconfidence is widespread among farmers in our sample, predicts less information-seeking, and is associated with an efficiency loss. Moreover, we find that farmers tend to seek more information from extension agents than from peer farmers and that information-seeking increases when the source is perceived as more knowledgeable. When aiming to increase the adoption of productivity-enhancing practices, farmers’ overconfidence in their own information set and their trust in the quality of information shared should not be overlooked.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:ucp:ecdecc:doi:10.1086/719464
Journal Field
Development
Author Count
4
Added to Database
2026-01-25