The Persistent Effects of Short-Term Peer Groups on Performance: Evidence from a Natural Experiment in Higher Education
利用大学新生随机分配到迎新周同伴群体的自然实验，研究发现低能力学生与高能力同伴短期接触会降低第一年成绩、增加辍学率，并长期影响专业选择和最终绩点。
This paper studies the persistent effects of short-term peer exposure on long-run performance in a college setting. I exploit the random assignment of undergraduates to peer groups during a mandatory orientation week and track the students’ performance over four years (until graduation). Assignment to orientation week groups with high levels of peer ability is associated with lower performance during the first year at college and a higher probability of early dropout. These adverse effects are driven entirely by the exposure of low-ability students to high-ability peers. Beyond the first year, exposure to higher peer ability during the orientation week negatively affects selection into the college’s most popular major (business administration) and final grade point average. Taken together, the findings suggest that the composition of short-term peer groups matters for individual choices and long-run performance outcomes. This paper was accepted by Yan Chen, decision analysis.