Applied Microeconomics Seminar Series
Spring 2022
Title: Peer Effects of Misbehavior and Ability in Classroom: Evidence from a Seat Randomization Experiment
Speaker: Yuxin Yao
Abstract: A large body of literature have documented peer effects of cognitive skills in the education context. However, literature studying peers' non-cognitive skills is relatively scarce. Classroom misbehavior, including internalizing problems and externalizing problems, is an important aspect of non-cognitive skills. In this paper, we exploit a field experiment which randomly assigns students to fixed seats in a classroom upon enrollment of middle schools. By combining data from standardized tests, reports on classroom misbehavior and background surveys, we are able to estimate peer effects of misbehavior and ability in a linear-in-mean and value-added model. We find a significant and positive effect of deskmates' test scores on Chinese, English and ethics. But deskmates' misbehavior does not have meaningful effects, except for a weak effect of externalizing problems.
Yuxin Yao is an assistant professor at the East China Normal University. She received the PhD in economics from Tilburg University. Her research areas are labor economics, economics of education, and family economics. Her research papers have been published in Economics of Education Review, Labor Economics, Economics Letters, etc. She has held the Pujiang Talent Grant in Shanghai.
Date: Thursday, June 2, 2022
Time: 12:30-1:50pm.
Tencent meeting ID: 343-5500-0633