Unraveling the Taste Component of College Major Choice

Last registered on August 30, 2021
View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Unraveling the Taste Component of College Major Choice
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0008102
Initial registration date
August 26, 2021

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
August 30, 2021, 1:51 PM EDT

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

Locations

Country
United States of America
Region

Primary Investigator

Name
Fulya Ersoy
Affiliation
University of Chicago
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Jamin Speer
PI Affiliation
The University of Memphis
Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2021-09-15
End date
2022-12-31
Keywords
Education, Labor
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
Students’ college major choice has important consequences for their career path, lifetime earnings, and labor supply. The literature documents that although there are many determinants of college major choice, the unobserved taste component seems to play a key role in college major decisions and in explaining field of study differences across different demographic groups. In this project, we aim to directly test the role of tastes in major choices with the help of an experiment. The experiment will allow us to assess how major choices respond to receiving taste-related information. This project will unravel the black box of the taste component of college major choice and shed light on potential policy interventions that can be used to narrow the college major gap across different demographic groups.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Ersoy, Fulya and Jamin Speer. 2021. " Unraveling the Taste Component of College Major Choice." AEA RCT Registry. August 30. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.8102-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Our intervention is an information intervention. We will provide college students information about various different respects of different majors.
Intervention Start Date
2021-09-15
Intervention End Date
2022-12-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Probability of majoring in a specific field
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Beliefs about different aspects of majors
Major(s) at graduation
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Students will fill out a demographic survey. First, students state their subjective probabilities of majoring in different fields of study. Then, we will elicit students' beliefs about different aspects of each field of study. Then, we will ask students order different types of information in terms of importance to them. Then, we will provide them different categories of information in a random order. After each information provision, we will ask them their subjective probabilities of majoring in different fields of study. Finally, we will re-assess students' beliefs about different aspects of each field of study.
Experimental Design Details
Students will fill out a demographic survey. First, students state their subjective probabilities of majoring in different fields of study. Then, we will elicit students' beliefs about different aspects of each field of study (1. Coursework 2. Major Gender and Race Composition 3. Further Education 4. Employment and Earnings 5. Industry 6. Workplace Characteristics 7. Family Status). Then, we will ask students order different types of information in terms of importance to them. Then, we will provide them different categories of information in a random order. After each information provision, we will ask them their subjective probabilities of majoring in different fields of study. Finally, we will re-assess students' beliefs about different aspects of each field of study.
Randomization Method
Randomization will be done by a computer.
Randomization Unit
Individual. All students will receive the same information, the order in which the students will receive the information is random.
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
400 students
Sample size: planned number of observations
400 students
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
Everyone will receive the information. The order in which students receive the information will be random.
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
2021-05-11
IRB Approval Number
LMU IRB 2021 SP 31-R
Analysis Plan

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

There is information in this trial unavailable to the public. Use the button below to request access.

Request Information

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