The Effects of Peer Group Heterogeneity on the Production of Human Capital at West Point
利用西点军校学员随机分配到连队的自然实验,研究发现同伴群体在数学SAT分数上的异质性对新生学业成绩有正向影响,主要由高能力同伴驱动,低能力同伴无显著影响。
Understanding how heterogeneity in peer group composition affects academic attainment has important implications for how schools organize students in group settings. The random assignment of cadets to companies at West Point affords an opportunity to investigate this issue empirically. Estimates of the impact of peer group heterogeneity in math SAT scores on freshmen-year academic performance reveals that more heterogeneous peer groups have positive effects on individual grades. High-ability peers account for most of the positive effect, while low-ability peers have no measureable effect.