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UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH

NUDGING STUDENTS THROUGH EMAIL COMMUNICATION

Authors

  • Justin Davidson
  • Chanikan (Pluem) Yongyuan
  • Joshua A. Price

Keywords:

higher education, behavioral nudges, student engagement

Abstract

This study analyzes the results of an experiment using personalized emails to nudge second-year students to attend a career fair. The study relied on peer mentors to send out emails informing students about the details of the career fair. Students were randomly assigned to receive an email that focused on the benefits of attending the career fair and offered pizza and a prize if they attended a session to help them sign up and prepare for the career fair. The results indicate that the intervention had no measurable effect on increasing the likelihood that students attend the help session or attend the career fair. Several reasons for this might be because of email overload, present-biased preferences, and factors related to COVID. Further, we provide guidance on what might be done to address these factors in future interventions.

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Published

2023-03-29

Versions

Issue

Vol. 23 No. 1 (2023): Journal for Economic Educators

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2023 Justin Davidson, Chanikan (Pluem) Yongyuan, Joshua A. Price

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