Evaluating Avatar-Based Practice Simulation in Staff Development

Last registered on July 22, 2026
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Evaluating Avatar-Based Practice Simulation in Staff Development
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0019151
Initial registration date
July 13, 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
July 22, 2026, 7:50 AM EDT

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
Helen Wang
Affiliation
London Business School
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Nicos Savva
PI Affiliation
London Business School
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PI Name
Wani Zhang
PI Affiliation
London Business School
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Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2026-07-13
End date
2027-09-13
Keywords
Behavior, Education, Firms & Productivity, Labor
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
M53
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
This study examines whether avatar-based practice (ABP) improves the acquisition of professional skills among banking employees and, if so, under what conditions it is most effective. In collaboration with a global investment bank, we conduct a field experiment in which we randomize the exposure to ABP among newly hired banking trainees. This design allows us to estimate the causal impact of ABP on trainees' confidence, learning engagement, skill acquisition, and subsequent job performance and retention.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Savva, Nicos, Helen Wang and Wani Zhang. 2026. "Evaluating Avatar-Based Practice Simulation in Staff Development ." AEA RCT Registry. July 22. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.19151-1.0
Sponsors & Partners

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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
We will randomize the exposure of ABP.
Intervention Start Date
2026-07-13
Intervention End Date
2026-09-13

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Primary short-term outcomes include professional ability and confidence. Longer-term outcomes include job retention and job performance.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
Within the platform, we will run assessments to measure participants' professional ability, such as active listening, consultative questioning, strategic thinking, and professional presence, and conversation facilitation skills. We will use pre- and pots-survey to collect participants' confidence level. On the job, we will draw on performance ratings from the firm's standard performance management cycle.

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary outcomes include post-session ABP engagement, such as repetitions, playtime, completion/pass status, training satisfaction, and voluntary usage.
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)
Secondary outcomes will be collected through the ABP platform.

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Not available.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Done by a computer.
Randomization Unit
individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
950 subjects.
Sample size: planned number of observations
950 subjects.
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
187 in the treatment group, 763 in the control group.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Unit: standard deviations of the outcome Standard deviation: 1.0 (for a standardized outcome scale) MDE: 0.229 SD
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
IRB Approval Date
IRB Approval Number
Analysis Plan