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Research ArticleArticle

Major Malfunction: A Field Experiment Correcting Undergraduates’ Beliefs about Salaries

John J. Conlon
Published online before print September 16, 2019, 0317-8599R2; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.56.3.0317-8599R2
John J. Conlon
*John J Conlon is a PhD student in Business Economics at Harvard University:
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Abstract

I test, in a field experiment at a flagship state university in the US, whether providing college students salary information can affect their choices of major and classes. I find that undergraduates are substantially misinformed about mean salaries by major. On average, students in my sample underestimate mean salaries, but there is also large heterogeneity in beliefs across individuals. I also find that providing information to correct these errors has a large impact on students’ choices; students in the treatment group were nine percentage points (16%) more likely to major in a field about which they received information.

JEL Codes
  • D83
  • D84
  • I26
  • J24

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Journal of Human Resources: 58 (5)
Journal of Human Resources
Vol. 58, Issue 5
1 Sep 2023
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Major Malfunction: A Field Experiment Correcting Undergraduates’ Beliefs about Salaries
John J. Conlon
Journal of Human Resources Sep 2019, 0317-8599R2; DOI: 10.3368/jhr.56.3.0317-8599R2

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Major Malfunction: A Field Experiment Correcting Undergraduates’ Beliefs about Salaries
John J. Conlon
Journal of Human Resources Sep 2019, 0317-8599R2; DOI: 10.3368/jhr.56.3.0317-8599R2
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Keywords

  • D83
  • D84
  • I26
  • J24
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