Social Interactions, Mechanisms, and Equilibrium: Evidence from a Model of Study Time and Academic Achievement

66 Pages Posted: 3 Aug 2015 Last revised: 9 Jan 2025

See all articles by Timothy Guy Conley

Timothy Guy Conley

Western University

Nirav Mehta

University of Western Ontario - Department of Economics

Ralph Stinebrickner

Berea College; University of Western Ontario

Todd R. Stinebrickner

University of Western Ontario - Department of Economics

Date Written: July 2015

Abstract

We develop and estimate a model of student study time choices on a social network. The model is designed to exploit unique data collected in the Berea Panel Study. Study time data allow us to quantify an intuitive mechanism for academic social interactions: own study time may depend on friend study time in a heterogeneous manner. Social network data allow us to embed study time and resulting academic achievement in an estimable equilibrium framework. We develop a specification test that exploits the equilibrium nature of social interactions and use it to show that novel study propensity measures mitigate econometric endogeneity concerns.

Suggested Citation

Conley, Timothy Guy and Mehta, Nirav and Stinebrickner, Ralph and Stinebrickner, Todd R., Social Interactions, Mechanisms, and Equilibrium: Evidence from a Model of Study Time and Academic Achievement (July 2015). NBER Working Paper No. w21418, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2638969

Nirav Mehta

University of Western Ontario - Department of Economics ( email )

London, Ontario N6A 5B8
Canada

Ralph Stinebrickner

Berea College ( email )

Berea, KY 40404
United States

University of Western Ontario ( email )

1151 Richmond Street
Suite 2
London, Ontario N6A 5B8
Canada

Todd R. Stinebrickner

University of Western Ontario - Department of Economics ( email )

London, Ontario N6A 5B8
Canada

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