The effect of occupation information on expectations and search behavior

Last registered on October 31, 2025
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
The effect of occupation information on expectations and search behavior
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0013624
Initial registration date
May 16, 2024

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
May 21, 2024, 11:13 AM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Last updated
October 31, 2025, 11:13 PM EDT

Last updated is the most recent time when changes to the trial's registration were published.

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Name
Liaoliang Zhang
Affiliation
National University of Singapore
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2024-05-17
End date
2027-08-01
Keywords
Behavior, Education, Labor
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
How do students respond to uncertainty in their job search? This study uses a survey experiment to understand and affect the wage expectations, search behaviors, and occupation choices. Specifically, it will assess updates in students' choices and expectations while considering different baseline factors affecting these outcomes and job search behaviors.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Zhang, Liaoliang. 2025. "The effect of occupation information on expectations and search behavior." AEA RCT Registry. October 31. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.13624-2.0
Sponsors & Partners

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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
The information treatment will provide detailed occupation-level information to students.
Intervention Start Date
2025-11-03
Intervention End Date
2027-08-01

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Beliefs, expectations, and occupation choices

Search-related outcomes

- Beliefs and expectations (including occupation choice beliefs at different points in time, different aspects of the choice space of the occupations, wage expectations including reservation wage)

- Willingness to pay with real stakes for different information related to job search, for example, willingness to pay for continued access to the information provided by the intervention, the occupation of the mentor if provided with a mentor, other extra information about occupations, and peers

- Actual search behavior and knowledge about the occupation, for example: usage of the tool to access information related to different treatment arms, attending any career-related co-curriculum activities or events, internships, course choices, grades, and the distance between course syllabus and the task content of the occupations, other investment decisions, search activities, or the use of other information sources

Labor market outcomes:

- Detailed job market outcomes recorded in the Graduation Employment Survey administered by the university (for example, salaries and other job-related outcomes, search-related information such as start and end dates, internships and part-time jobs, offers, courses, main challenges, and reasons for their choices).
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Search behavior and search activities
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
By exogenously changing students’ exposure to different information, we study the effect on their expectations and occupation choices. Students will be randomized to a treatment arm and a control arm, and they will be tracked across time.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Otree experiment
Randomization Unit
Individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
1500 students
Sample size: planned number of observations
1500 students
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
750 in treatment and 750 in the control arm
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Department Ethics Review Committee
IRB Approval Date
2025-08-17
IRB Approval Number
000548
Analysis Plan