  Open defecation, which is linked with poor health outcomes, lower cognitive
ability and productivity, has been widespread in India. This paper assesses the
impact of a randomized norm-centric intervention implemented in peri-urban
areas of Tamil Nadu in India on raising the value attached to residence in
areas with a lower prevalence of open defecation, measured through Willingness
to Pay (WTP). The intervention aimed to change social expectations about toilet
usage through audio announcements, wall paintings, household visits, and
community meetings. The findings indicate a significant increase in the WTP for
relocating to areas with lower prevalence of open defecation. The results are
consistent when using local average treatment effect estimations wherein the
possibility of spillovers in the control areas is accounted for. They are also
robust to potential bias due to local socio-political events during the study
period and COVID-led attrition. We further observe a significant increase in
toilet ownership and usage. While assessing the mechanism, we find that change
in empirical expectations through the intervention (what one believes about the
prevalence of toilet usage in the community) is one of the primary mediating
channels. Normative expectations (what one believes about community approval of
toilet usage) are found to have limited effect. The findings underscore the
need for norm-centric interventions to propel change in beliefs and achieve
long-term and sustainable sanitation behavior.
