Principles of Economics Pre-Analysis Plan

Last registered on February 10, 2026
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Principles of Economics Pre-Analysis Plan
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0017791
Initial registration date
February 02, 2026

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
February 10, 2026, 5:57 AM EST

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

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Name
Richard Patterson
Affiliation
Brigham Young University
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Brennan Platt
PI Affiliation
Brigham Young University
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PI Name
Eli Hendricks
PI Affiliation
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Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2026-02-04
End date
2027-05-01
Keywords
Education
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
In an undergaduate economics course, we implement an RCT designed to increase engagement among students who struggle on midterm exams. We will evaluate the effect of this policy on course performance, completion, and other course outcomes.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Hendricks, Eli , Richard Patterson and Brennan Platt. 2026. "Principles of Economics Pre-Analysis Plan." AEA RCT Registry. February 10. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.17791-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention Start Date
2026-02-05
Intervention End Date
2026-04-30

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
course performance, course completion
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
In an undergaduate economics course, we implement an RCT designed to increase engagement among students who struggle on midterm exams. We will evaluate the effect of this policy on course performance, completion, and other course outcomes.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
done in office by a computer
Randomization Unit
Individual randomization
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
1000 students
Sample size: planned number of observations
1000 students
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
500 students in control, 500 students in treatment
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
With power of 0.9, the MDE for main outcomes is .20 SD increase in test scores and approximately a 8 percentage-point increase in course completion.
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Brigham Young University IRB
IRB Approval Date
2026-01-21
IRB Approval Number
2026-020
Analysis Plan

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