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Self-perceptions about academic achievement: Evidence from Mexico City

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  • Bobba, Matteo
  • Frisancho, Veronica
Abstract
A growing body of evidence suggests that people exhibit large biases when processing information about themselves, but less is known about the underlying inference process. This paper studies belief updating patterns regarding academic ability in a large sample of students transitioning from middle to high school in Mexico City. The analysis takes advantage of rich and longitudinal data on subjective beliefs together with randomized feedback about individual performance on an achievement test. On average, the performance feedback reduces the relative role of priors on posteriors and shifts substantial probability mass toward the signal. Further evidence reveals that males and high-socioeconomic status students tend to process new information on their own ability more effectively.

Suggested Citation

  • Bobba, Matteo & Frisancho, Veronica, 2022. "Self-perceptions about academic achievement: Evidence from Mexico City," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 231(1), pages 58-73.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:econom:v:231:y:2022:i:1:p:58-73
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jeconom.2020.06.009
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    Cited by:

    1. Bobba, Matteo & Frisancho, Veronica & Pariguana, Marco, 2016. "Perceived Ability and School Choices: Experimental Evidence and Scale-up Effects," TSE Working Papers 16-660, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE), revised Jul 2024.
    2. Kiss, Andrea & Garlick, Robert & Orkin, Kate & Hensel, Lukas, 2023. "Jobseekers' Beliefs about Comparative Advantage and (Mis)Directed Search," IZA Discussion Papers 16522, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. ISOZUMI Koji & ITO Hirotake & NAKAMURO Makiko & YAMAGUCHI Shintaro, 2021. "Is Entering a Selective School the Ultimate Goal or Just a Start? The Effect of Ordinal Rank on Academic Achievement and College Quality in a Selective Secondary School," Discussion papers 21086, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    4. Pauline Charousset & Marion Monnet, 2022. "Gendered Teacher Feedback, Students' Math Performance and Enrollment Outcomes: A Text Mining Approach," Working Papers halshs-03733956, HAL.
    5. Sofia Badini & Esther Gehrke & Friederike Lenel & Claudia Schupp, 2024. "Expanding Horizons A Randomized Controlled Trial on Adolescents’ Career Information Acquisition," CESifo Working Paper Series 11225, CESifo.
    6. Collins, Matthew & Lundstedt, Jonas, 2024. "The effects of more informative grading on student outcomes," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 218(C), pages 514-549.
    7. Pauline Charousset & Marion Monnet, 2022. "Gendered Teacher Feedback, Students' Math Performance and Enrollment Outcomes: A Text Mining Approach," PSE Working Papers halshs-03733956, HAL.
    8. Stefania Bortolotti & Annalisa Loviglio, 2024. "The Impact of a Peer-to-Peer Mentoring Program on University Choices and Performance," Working Papers wp1192, Dipartimento Scienze Economiche, Universita' di Bologna.
    9. Orazio Attanasio & Sarah Cattan & Costas Meghir, 2021. "Early Childhood Development, Human Capital and Poverty," NBER Working Papers 29362, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Information; Subjective expectations; Academic ability; Bayesian updating; Overconfidence; Secondary education;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
    • D80 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - General
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • D84 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Expectations; Speculations
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality

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