Experiential learning, narrative‐based learning, and insurance adoption: Experimental evidence from Kenya

Jamleck Osiemo, Francesco Cecchi, Erwin Bulte and Caroline Mwongera

American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 2026, vol. 108, issue 1, 232-253

Abstract: We compare the impact of two extension modalities on knowledge accumulation and willingness to pay for a weather index insurance product among smallholder farmers in Kenya. One approach to extension is based on experiential learning and involves participation in an incentivized framed experiment (or game). The other is based on conventional “narrative‐based” learning. While both modalities increase farmer knowledge, incentivized gamification causes more learning. We also find that experiential learning affects follow‐up demand for the insurance product, which is not true for narrative‐based learning. Interestingly, demand for insurance shifts inward after playing the insurance game. This reduction in demand is mainly caused by increased knowledge about the insurance product, but we also present suggestive evidence that experiencing basis risk during the game was more salient than theory‐based learning about basis risk. Game‐based learning is an effective approach to promote knowledge accumulation and may accentuate or attenuate adoption of innovations by updating ex‐ante, possibly biased, expectations.

Date: 2026
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://doi.org/10.1111/ajae.12528

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:wly:ajagec:v:108:y:2026:i:1:p:232-253

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in American Journal of Agricultural Economics from John Wiley & Sons
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Wiley Content Delivery ().