ERIC Number: EJ1015443
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013
Pages: 21
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0022-166X
EISSN: N/A
Peers, Pressure, and Performance at the National Spelling Bee
Smith, Jonathan
Journal of Human Resources, v48 n2 p265-285 Spr 2013
This paper investigates how individuals' performances of a cognitive task
in a high-pressure competition are affected by their peers' performances.
To do so, I use novel data from the National Spelling Bee, in which students
attempt to spell words correctly in a tournament setting. Across OLS
and instrumental variables approaches, I find that when the immediate
predecessor is correct, a speller has a 13 to 64 percent greater probability
of making a mistake, relative to the predecessor being incorrect. There is no
evidence that the effect differs by gender and marginal evidence that it differs
by experience. (Contains 10 tables and 20 footnotes.)
Descriptors: Spelling, Competition, Stress Variables, Cognitive Processes, Error Patterns, Trend Analysis, Gender Differences, Predictor Variables, Correlation, Probability, Least Squares Statistics, Elementary School Students, Middle School Students
University of Wisconsin Press. 1930 Monroe Street, Madison, WI 53711-2059. Tel: 608-263-0668; Fax: 608-263-1173; e-mail: journals@uwpress.wisc.edu; Web site: http://www.wisc.edu/wisconsinpress/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; Middle Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A