"The Effect of Feedback on Student Performance"  with Esteban Aucejo  (R&R Journal of Public Economics)

[Working Paper: PDF]

Abstract:

This study analyzes whether (scalable) personalized feedback messages from class professors can help close gaps in college performance between first-generation and continuing-generation students. We designed a randomized controlled trial where approximately 1200 students from 18 different economics principles courses from Arizona State University received different feedback messages that combined information from surveys (completed by the students at the beginning of the semester) with students’ academic performance. We found that first-generation students primarily benefit from this type of feedback. In particular, our treatment fully closed the gap in academic performance gains between first generation and continuing-generation students in these courses. Furthermore, our findings suggest that helping students to assimilate adverse academic shocks and professor encouragement are important mechanisms to explain our results.

“Settling Down or Settling In?” 

[Working Paper: PDF]

Abstract:

I use the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 to document that even from before the start of cohabitation, cohabitors who eventually marry their partners and cohabitors who do not have different labor supply and wages. I find that those who cohabit and eventually marry work on average six hours more per week than those who cohabit but will not marry. I estimate that every hour worked per week in the year prior to the start of cohabitation increases the probability of transition into marriage by .7%. Additionally, I find that lower wages prior to the start of cohabitation are associated with a lower probability of transitioning into marriage. I develop a theory of co-residential relationship formation where lower wages increase the value of living together, leading to less selectivity in match quality and thus a lower transition probability into marriage. Singles who have higher hours worked have higher disutility to begin a relationship along with higher income, leading to higher selectivity in match quality and thus a higher probability of transitioning into marriage. I show that lower real wages in the last five decades can explain the trends in cohabitation and marriage for college and non-college graduates. Finally, I suggest that changes to the incentives to form a co-residential relationship create an additional channel where urban poverty programs can affect welfare.

“Moving In or Moving On?” 

[Working Paper: PDF]

Abstract:

I compare the migration and cohabitation behaviors between the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 and 1997 cohorts. I document that for both cohorts, college graduates migrate more and cohabit less than non-college graduates. I hypothesize that having a higher probability of a future migration decreases the likelihood of cohabiting, as cohabitation can be seen as a form of settling down. I find that college graduates are more likely to move out of county or state. I also find that having a big move in the future decreases the odds of cohabiting. This can explain the cross-sectional difference between non-college and college graduates cohabitation rate. Comparing across cohorts and using the Census Bureau Current Population Survey, I find that cohabitation has increased and migration has decreased. This implies declining migration could also have contributed to the increase in cohabitation.