Networks and Workouts: Treatment Size and Status Specific Peer Effects in a Randomized Field Experiment

Philip Babcock and John L. Hartman

No 16581, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: This paper estimates treatment size and status specific peer effects that are not detected by widely-used approaches to the estimation of spillovers. In a field experiment using university students, we find that subjects who have been incentivized to exercise increase gym usage more if they have more treated friends. However, control subjects are not influenced by their peers. Findings demonstrate that fraction treated has a large influence on outcomes in this environment, and spillovers vary greatly by treatment status. Results highlight subtle effects of randomization and document a low-cost method for improving the generalizability of controlled interventions in networked environments.

JEL-codes: A13 C21 C93 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2010-12
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-exp and nep-ure
Note: ED EH
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (52)

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