Distinguishing Spurious and Real Peer Effects: Evidence from Artificial Societies, Small-Group Experiments, and Real Schoolyards

Review of Law & Economics, Forthcoming

UC Berkeley Public Law Research Paper No. 1118436

19 Pages Posted: 10 Apr 2008

See all articles by Robert MacCoun

Robert MacCoun

Stanford Law School

Philip J. Cook

Duke University - Sanford School of Public Policy; Duke University, Dept. of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Clara Muschkin

Duke University - Center for Child and Family Policy

Jacob L. Vigdor

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Abstract

In a variety of important domains, there is considerable correlational evidence suggestive of what are variously referred to as social norm effects, contagion effects, information cascades, or peer effects. It is difficult to statistically identify whether such effects are causal, and there are various non-causal mechanisms that can produce such apparent norm effects. Lab experiments demonstrate that real peer effects occur, but also that apparent cascade or peer effects can be spurious. A curious feature of American local school configuration policy provides an opportunity to identify true peer influences among adolescents. Some school districts send 6th graders to middle school (e.g., 6th-8th grade "junior high"); others retain 6th graders for one additional year in K-6 elementary schools. Using administrative data on public school students in North Carolina, we have found that sixth grade students attending middle schools are much more likely to be cited for discipline problems than those attending elementary school, and the effects appear to persist at least through ninth grade. A plausible explanation is that these effects occur because sixth graders in middle schools are suddenly exposed to two cohorts of older, more delinquent peers.

Keywords: Norms, social influence, peer effects

JEL Classification: C91, D71

Suggested Citation

MacCoun, Robert and Cook, Philip J. and Muschkin, Clara and Vigdor, Jacob L., Distinguishing Spurious and Real Peer Effects: Evidence from Artificial Societies, Small-Group Experiments, and Real Schoolyards. Review of Law & Economics, Forthcoming , UC Berkeley Public Law Research Paper No. 1118436, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1118436

Robert MacCoun (Contact Author)

Stanford Law School ( email )

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Philip J. Cook

Duke University - Sanford School of Public Policy ( email )

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Clara Muschkin

Duke University - Center for Child and Family Policy ( email )

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Jacob L. Vigdor

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

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