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The effect of financial rewards on students' achievement: Evidence from a randomized experiment

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Author Info
Edwin Leuven
Hessel Oosterbeek
Bas van der Klaauw

Additional information is available for the following registered author(s):

Abstract

In a randomized field experiment where first year university students could earn financial rewards for passing all first year requirements within one year we find small and non-significant average effects of financial incentives on the pass rate and the numbers of collected credit points. There is however evidence that high ability students collect significantly more credit points when assigned to (larger) reward groups. Low ability students collect less credit points when assigned to larger reward groups. After three years these effects have increased, suggesting dynamic spillovers. The small average effect in the population is therefore the sum of a positive effect for high ability students and a (partly) off-setting negative effect for low ability students. A negative effect of financial incentives for less able individuals is in line with research from psychology and recent economic laboratory experiments which shows that external rewards may be detrimental for intrinsic motivation.

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Publisher Info
Paper provided by The Field Experiments Website in its series Artefactual Field Experiments with number 0065.

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Length: 34 pages
Date of creation: 2006
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:feb:artefa:0065

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Web page: http://www.fieldexperiments.com

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Related research
Keywords: financial incentives; student achievement; randomized social experiment; heterogeneous treatment effects higher education policy;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
I22 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Educational Finance

References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:

  1. Joshua Angrist & Eric Bettinger & Eric Bloom & Elizabeth King & Michael Kremer, 2002. "Vouchers for Private Schooling in Colombia: Evidence from a Randomized Natural Experiment," Natural Field Experiments 0004, The Field Experiments Website. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  2. Leuven, Edwin & Oosterbeek, Hessel & van der Klaauw, Bas, 2003. "The Effect of Financial Rewards on Students' Achievements: Evidence from a Randomized Experiment," CEPR Discussion Papers 3921, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  3. Tomas J. Philipson, 2000. "External Treatment Effects and Program Implementation Bias," NBER Technical Working Papers 0250, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  4. Camerer, Colin F. & Hogarth, Robin M., 1999. "The Effects of Financial Incentives in Experiments: A Review and Capital-Labor-Production Framework," Working Papers 1059, California Institute of Technology, Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences. [Downloadable!]
  5. James J. Heckman & Lance Lochner & Christopher Taber, 1999. "General Equilibrium Cost Benefit Analysis of Education and Tax Policies," NBER Working Papers 6881, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Hanushek, Eric A, 1986. "The Economics of Schooling: Production and Efficiency in Public Schools," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 24(3), pages 1141-77, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Uri Gneezy & Aldo Rustichini, 2000. "Pay Enough Or Don'T Pay At All," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 115(3), pages 791-810, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Angrist, Joshua & Lavy, Victor, 2002. "The Effect of High School Matriculation Awards: Evidence from Randomized Trials," CEPR Discussion Papers 3827, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  9. Caroline M. Hoxby, 2000. "The Effects Of Class Size On Student Achievement: New Evidence From Population Variation," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 115(4), pages 1239-1285, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Michèle Belot & Erik Canton & Dinand Webbink, 2007. "Does reducing student support affect scholastic performance? Evidence from a Dutch reform," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 32(2), pages 261-275, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Joshua Angrist & Daniel Lang & Philip Oreopoulos, 2007. "Incentives and Services for College Achievement: Evidence from a Randomized Trial," IZA Discussion Papers 3134, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  3. Edwin Leuven & Hessel Oosterbeek & Bas van der Klaauw, 2006. "The effect of financial rewards on students' achievement: Evidence from a randomized experiment," Artefactual Field Experiments 0065, The Field Experiments Website. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  4. Jason M. Lindo & Nicholas J. Sanders & Philip Oreopoulos, 2008. "Ability, Gender, and Performance Standards: Evidence from Academic Probation," NBER Working Papers 14261, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Alexander Kritikos, 2006. "The Impact of Compulsory Arbitration on Bargaining Behavior: An Experimental Study," Economics of Governance, Springer, vol. 7(3), pages 293-315, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Leuven, Edwin & Oosterbeek, Hessel & Sonnemans, Joep & van der Klaauw, Bas, 2008. "Incentives versus Sorting in Tournaments: Evidence from a Field Experiment," IZA Discussion Papers 3326, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  7. Justin van der Sluis & Mirjam van Praag & Arjen van Witteloostuijn, 2004. "Comparing the Returns to Education for Entrepreneurs and Employees," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 04-104/3, Tinbergen Institute. [Downloadable!]
  8. van der Klaauw, Bas & van Vuuren, Aico & Berkhout, Peter, 2005. "Labor market prospects search intensity and the transition from college to work," Working Paper Series 2005:9, IFAU - Institute for Labour Market Policy Evaluation. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  9. Michael Kremer & Edward Miguel & Rebecca Thornton, 2004. "Incentives to Learn," NBER Working Papers 10971, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  10. Bas Jacobs & Sweder J.G. van Wijnbergen, 2005. "Capital Market Failure, Adverse Selection and Equity Financing of Higher Education," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 05-037/3, Tinbergen Institute. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  11. Michael Kremer & Edward Miguel & Rebecca Thorton, 2004. "Incentives to Learn," Center for International and Development Economics Research, Working Paper Series 1060, Center for International and Development Economics Research, Institute for Business and Economic Research, UC Berkeley. [Downloadable!]
  12. Joshua Angrist & Daniel Lang & Philip Oreopoulos, 2006. "Lead Them to Water and Pay Them to Drink: An Experiment with Services and Incentives for College Achievement," NBER Working Papers 12790, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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