How to Read Economics Research Papers: Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) Practice Questions

The table below (‘Table 2’) presents summary statistics from the West Point study of the effects of classroom electronics featured in this video and is referenced in questions 1 and 2. Click here to see a larger version of this table.

1. What percentage of Treatment Group 1 were Division I athletes? *

2. Column 4 (“Both treatments vs control”) compares a sample containing both treatment groups with the control group. Which of the following is true? *

A. The proportion of black students in the treatment groups is significantly below that in the control group.

B. Average computer use is significantly higher in treatment groups than in the control group.

C. White participants make up a larger proportion of the treatment groups than the control groups, but this difference is not statistically significant.

D. b and c are both correct.

E. All of the above

Table 3 below presents regression results from the West Point study featured in this video and is referenced in questions 3 and 4. Click here to see a larger version of this table.

3. What is the difference between the different panels in this table? *

A. The panels report estimated effects using different independent variables.

B. The panels report estimated effects on different dependent variables.

C. The panels report estimates using different statistical methods.

D. a. and c. are both correct.

E. None of the above

4. Consider the Panel A results only. Which of the following is true of a participant’s Composite ACT? *

A. There is a significant positive association between Composite ACT and the combined final exam multiple choice and short answer score.

B. There is a positive association between Composite ACT and final exam multiple choice and short answer score, but it is not statistically significant.

C. Composite ACT is included as a covariate only in the model used to compute the estimates in the last column.

D. a. and c. are both correct.

E. None of the above

The table below (Table III) presents results from a Randomized Trial conducted in schools in urban India, where the treatment involved hiring young women to teach students who were lagging behind in basic literacy and numeracy. It is referenced in questions 5 and 6. Click here to see a larger version of this table.

5. Consider the first row of results that show the results for Mumbai and Vadodara together, year 1. We can see that there are statistically significant differences in: *

A. Math only

B. Language only

C. Math and Total only

D. Math, Language, and Total

E. None of them are statistically significant.

6. Consider the second row of results that show the results for Mumbai and Vadodara together, year 2. We can see that there are statistically significant differences in: *

A. Math only

B. Language only

C. Math and Total only

D. Math, Language, and Total

E. None of them are statistically significant.

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How to Read Economics Research Papers: Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) Practice Questions

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