Friendship Formation: A randomized field experiment in Hungarian schools

Last registered on April 16, 2018

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Friendship Formation: A randomized field experiment in Hungarian schools
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0002895
Initial registration date
April 13, 2018

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
April 16, 2018, 10:46 PM EDT

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

Locations

Region

Primary Investigator

Affiliation
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Affiliation
Hungarian Academy of Science

Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2017-04-04
End date
2018-12-31
Secondary IDs
Abstract
We are conducting a large-scale randomized field experiment in Hungarian primary schools that randomly assigns students to desk mates within classrooms. We investigate how randomizing the seating chart affects friendships within the classroom.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Elwert, Felix and Tamas Keller. 2018. "Friendship Formation: A randomized field experiment in Hungarian schools." AEA RCT Registry. April 16. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.2895-1.0
Former Citation
Elwert, Felix and Tamas Keller. 2018. "Friendship Formation: A randomized field experiment in Hungarian schools." AEA RCT Registry. April 16. https://www.socialscienceregistry.org/trials/2895/history/28360
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
We randomly assigned students to desk mates within classrooms. All students within a classroom were randomly assigned to free-standing two-person desks via unconstrained random partitioning. Teachers were instructed to employ the intended seating chart in three subjects—mathematics, Hungarian literature, and Hungarian grammar—for the duration of the fall 2017 semester.

The two primary treatments are whether two students are desk mates, and how much a student's desk mate resembles other classmates.
Intervention Start Date
2017-09-01
Intervention End Date
2018-01-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
We investigate the effect of seating chart randomization and the resulting similarity between desk mates and other classmates and students' friendship status with classmates.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
How much students like their desk mates.
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
We execute a large-scale randomized field experiment in 195 classrooms of 41 Hungarian primary schools. The intervention consists of randomizing the seating chart within each classroom at the beginning of the 2017 fall semester and encouraging adherence until the end of the semester in January 2018. Endline outcomes data are collected and will become available to the research team in May 2018.

Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Within each classroom, we assigned students to free-standing two-person desks via unconstrained random partitioning. Randomization was based on Spring 2017 class rosters, using a computer. To account for entries and exits from the Spring class roster, we stipulated a replacement algorithm and defined the "intended seating chart" as the randomized seating chart after the application of the replacement algorithm.
Randomization Unit
Individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
Approximately 3,800 students, forming approximately 74,000 dyads, in 195 classrooms of 41 schools.
Sample size: planned number of observations
Approximately 3,800 students, forming approximately 74,000 dyads.
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
This is a networked trial for peer effects. We analyze the outcomes of approximately 74,000 student dyads.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials

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IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
University of Wisconsin-Madison
IRB Approval Date
2018-02-19
IRB Approval Number
2018-0093
IRB Name
Hungarian Academy of Science
IRB Approval Date
2017-12-12
IRB Approval Number
N/A
Analysis Plan

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Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
No
Data Collection Complete
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials