ERIC Number: EJ1216399
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019-Jun
Pages: 20
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0361-0365
EISSN: N/A
Framing and Labeling Effects in Preferences for Borrowing for College: An Experimental Analysis
Evans, Brent J.; Boatman, Angela; Soliz, Adela
Research in Higher Education, v60 n4 p438-457 Jun 2019
Evidence from behavioral economics suggests that the framing and labeling of choices affect financial decisions. Through a randomized control trial of over six thousand high school seniors, community college students, and adults without a college degree, we identify the existence of both framing and labeling effects in respondents' preferences for borrowing for postsecondary education. How financially equivalent contracts are framed alters the preferences of high school and community college students. Furthermore, simply labeling a contract a "loan" reduces the likelihood of selecting that option by 8-11 percentage points among those samples. These effects are more pronounced among Black high school respondents and Hispanic high school and community college respondents who are both twice as likely as White respondents to avoid the loan option when it is labeled a "loan." Finally, we provide suggestive evidence that this labeling effect is driven by more risk averse respondents. Our findings imply that the federal government, states, and institutions should be attentive to the language used when offering and explaining financial aid packages for higher education.
Descriptors: Credit (Finance), Paying for College, Educational Finance, Preferences, Two Year College Students, Economics, Decision Making, High School Seniors, Hispanic American Students, African American Students, Loan Repayment, White Students, Risk, Student Financial Aid, Language Usage, Federal Government
Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. 233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-348-4505; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link.springer.com/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; High Schools; Secondary Education; Two Year Colleges
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A