title: Does peer use influence adoption of efficient cookstoves? Evidence from a randomized controlled trial in Uganda.
abstract: The authors examined the effect of peer usage on consumer demand for efficient cookstoves with a randomized controlled trial in rural Uganda. The authors tested whether the neighbors of buyers who ordered and received a stove are more likely to purchase an efficient cookstove than the neighbors of buyers who ordered but have not yet received a stove. The authors found that neighbors of buyers who have experience with the stove are not detectably more likely to purchase a stove than neighbors of buyers who have not yet received their stove. The authors found evidence of peer effects in opinions about efficient cookstoves. Knowing that a prominent member of the community has the efficient stove predicts 17-22 percentage points higher odds of strongly favoring the stove. However, this more favorable opinion seemingly has no effect on purchase decisions.
authors.affiliation: a Impact Carbon , San Francisco , California , USA.
authors.forename: Theresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Beltramo
authors.forename: Garrick
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Blalock
authors.forename: David I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.forename: Andrew M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Simons
mesh_terms: D003132:Commerce / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003296:Cooking / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D010379:Peer Group; D012424:Rural Population; D012919:Social Behavior; D014454:Uganda