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Effects of Peer Group Composition in a Post-Secondary Environment
Last registered on December 02, 2019
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information
General Information
Title
Effects of Peer Group Composition in a Post-Secondary Environment
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0004440
Initial registration date
July 22, 2019
Last updated
December 02, 2019 9:29 PM EST
Location(s)

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Primary Investigator
Name
Fulya Ersoy
Affiliation
Loyola Marymount University
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Other Primary Investigator(s)
PI Name
Graham Beattie
PI Affiliation
Loyola Marymount University
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Additional Trial Information
Status
In development
Start date
2019-08-26
End date
2022-01-01
Keywords
Education
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
I2
Secondary IDs
Abstract
Working with peers can be beneficial or harmful for many reasons. This study explores how working in pairs and pair composition (in terms of academic achievement, demographics, and, personality traits) affects students’ academic achievement and attitudes towards group work. Hence, this study will shed line on the mechanisms through which peer effects work.
External Link(s)
Registration Citation
Citation
Beattie, Graham and Fulya Ersoy. 2019. "Effects of Peer Group Composition in a Post-Secondary Environment." AEA RCT Registry. December 02. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.4440-1.1.
Former Citation
Beattie, Graham , Fulya Ersoy and Fulya Ersoy. 2019. "Effects of Peer Group Composition in a Post-Secondary Environment." AEA RCT Registry. December 02. http://www.socialscienceregistry.org/trials/4440/history/58117.
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details
Interventions
Intervention(s)
Intervention Start Date
2019-08-26
Intervention End Date
2022-01-01
Primary Outcomes
Primary Outcomes (end points)
--Exam Scores
--Perceptions about Group Work
--Interest in the economics major
--Trust levels
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
Secondary Outcomes
Secondary Outcomes (end points)
--Quiz Scores/Answers
--College GPA
--Time to Graduation
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)
Experimental Design
Experimental Design
This experiment has two treatment arms: Individual Quiz and Group Quiz.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Each semester, one professor will teach one section whereas the other professor will teach two sections. The section of the professor who teaches only one section will be the Group Quiz section. One of the sections of the professor who teaches two sections will be randomly assigned to be the Individual Quiz section and the other will be the Group Quiz section. The randomization will be done with a coin flip.

In the Group Quiz sections, students are randomly assigned to their partners by a computer and this is repeated after every 4 quizzes.
Randomization Unit
Randomization for the treatment is done at the classroom level.
Individuals in the group quiz classrooms are further randomly assigned to their peers.
Was the treatment clustered?
Yes
Experiment Characteristics
Sample size: planned number of clusters
12 classrooms
Sample size: planned number of observations
Approximately 250 students
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
4 control classrooms (80 students) where students will take individual quizzes.
8 treatment classrooms (160 students) where students will take quizzes in pairs.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB
INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARDS (IRBs)
IRB Name
Loyola Marymount University
IRB Approval Date
2019-06-18
IRB Approval Number
LMU IRB 2019 SU 05-R
Analysis Plan