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Does Simple Information Provision Lead to More Diverse Classrooms? Evidence from a Field Experiment on Undergraduate Economics

Author

Listed:
  • Amanda Bayer
  • Syon P. Bhanot
  • Fernando Lozano

Abstract

This paper reports the results of a field experiment involving 2,710 students across nine US colleges, in which faculty provided incoming women and URM students with information about economics. We randomly assign students to one of three conditions: a control (no email messaging), a Welcome treatment (two emails encouraging students to consider enrolling in economics courses), and a Welcome+Info treatment (which added information showcasing the diversity of research and researchers within economics). The Welcome+Info treatment increases the likelihood of completing an economics course in the first semester of college by 3.0 percentage points, nearly 20 percent of the base rate.

Suggested Citation

  • Amanda Bayer & Syon P. Bhanot & Fernando Lozano, 2019. "Does Simple Information Provision Lead to More Diverse Classrooms? Evidence from a Field Experiment on Undergraduate Economics," AEA Papers and Proceedings, American Economic Association, vol. 109, pages 110-114, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:apandp:v:109:y:2019:p:110-14
    Note: DOI: 10.1257/pandp.20191097
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    Cited by:

    1. Todd Pugatch & Elizabeth Schroeder, 2024. "A simple nudge increases socioeconomic diversity in undergraduate Economics," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 62(1), pages 287-307, January.
    2. Christine Moser, 2022. "Doctoral degrees awarded to Blacks in agricultural economics: 1999–2019," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 44(4), pages 2164-2180, December.
    3. Kristin F. Butcher & Patrick J. McEwan & Akila Weerapana, 2024. "Women’s Colleges and Economics Major Choice: Evidence from Wellesley College Applicants," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(2), pages 123-161, April.
    4. Judith M. Delaney & Paul J. Devereux, 2021. "Gender and Educational Achievement: Stylized Facts and Causal Evidence," Working Papers 202103, School of Economics, University College Dublin.
    5. Larry Chavis & Laurel Wheeler, 2025. "Applying Indigenous Approaches to Economics Instruction," Journal of Economics, Race, and Policy, Springer, vol. 8(1), pages 57-73, March.
    6. Todd Pugatch & Elizabeth Schroeder, 2021. "Promoting Female Interest in Economics: Limits to Nudges," AEA Papers and Proceedings, American Economic Association, vol. 111, pages 123-127, May.
    7. Amanda Bayer & Gary A. Hoover & Ebonya Washington, 2020. "How You Can Work to Increase the Presence and Improve the Experience of Black, Latinx, and Native American People in the Economics Profession," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 34(3), pages 193-219, Summer.
    8. Singhal, Karan & Sierminska, Eva, 2024. "Inequality in the Economics Profession," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1536, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    9. Owen, Stephanie, 2023. "College major choice and beliefs about relative performance: An experimental intervention to understand gender gaps in STEM," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    10. Patnaik, Arpita & Pauley, Gwyn & Venator, Joanna & Wiswall, Matthew, 2024. "The impacts of same and opposite gender alumni speakers on interest in economics," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    11. Amanda Bayer & Gregory Bruich & Raj Chetty & Andrew Housiaux, 2020. "Expanding and diversifying the pool of undergraduates who study economics: Insights from a new introductory course at Harvard," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(3-4), pages 364-379, September.
    12. Rebecca Cassells & Leonora Risse & Danielle Wood & Duygu Yengin, 2023. "Lifting Diversity and Inclusion in Economics: How the Australian Women in Economics Network Put the Evidence into Action," Economic Papers, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 42(1), pages 1-29, March.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • A22 - General Economics and Teaching - - Economic Education and Teaching of Economics - - - Undergraduate
    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness

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