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I Promise to Work Hard: The Impact of a Non-Binding Commitment Pledge on Academic Performance

Author

Listed:
  • Nicholas A. Wright

    (Department of Economics Florida International University Miami, FL 33199)

  • Puneet Arora

    (Management Development Institute Gurgaon, India)

  • Jesse Wright

    (Department of Economics and Finance Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers, FL 33965)

Abstract

Students often start a course with high expectations and an ambitious plan of action. Some instructors use goal-inducing, non-binding commitment pledges to nudge students to follow through on their intended course of action. Using a field experiment, we asked treated students to set a goal grade, identify the actions they would take to achieve it, and sign a commitment pledge to work toward this grade. We find that treated students pledged a greater time commitment and targeted a higher grade, but their overall test scores decreased by 0.23 standard deviations, and they were 15 percentage points less likely to pass the course.

Suggested Citation

  • Nicholas A. Wright & Puneet Arora & Jesse Wright, 2026. "I Promise to Work Hard: The Impact of a Non-Binding Commitment Pledge on Academic Performance," Education Finance and Policy, MIT Press, vol. 21(2), pages 237-260, Spring.
    • Handle: RePEc:tpr:edfpol:v:21:y:2026:i:2:p:237-260
    DOI: 10.1162/edfp.a.30
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