In this study, dormitory room and social group assignment data from a college are used to investigate peer effects on college students’ decisions to switch majors. Results reveal strong evidence of such peer effects at both the room and the social group level. Most notably, at the room level, the dense concentration of same-major roommates deters students from switching majors; having one or two same-major roommates has no significant effect on major switching, indicating strong nonlinearity of peer effects at the room level. Such nonlinearity is not observed among social group members. Results also reveal evidence that students’ choices of new majors are affected by peers’ majors. Peers are more likely to choose the same destination majors than nonpeers. In choosing their new majors, students do not necessarily follow their peers indiscriminately. Their decisions seem to be influenced more by short-term academic requirements than by long-term job prospects. Finally, peer effects on major switching and major choices are stronger at the dormitory room level than at the social group level in most cases.

在这项研究中，来自大学的宿舍房间和社会团体分配数据用于调查同伴对大学生转专业决定的影响。结果揭示了这种同伴效应在房间和社会群体层面的有力证据。最值得注意的是，在房间层面，同专业室友的密集程度阻碍了学生转专业；有一个或两个相同的主要室友对主要转换没有显着影响，表明房间级别的同伴效应具有很强的非线性。在社会群体成员中没有观察到这种非线性。结果还揭示了学生对新专业的选择受到同龄人专业影响的证据。同龄人比非同龄人更有可能选择相同的目的地专业。在选择新专业时，学生不一定会不分青红皂白地跟随同龄人。他们的决定似乎更多地受到短期学术要求的影响，而不是长期工作前景。最后，在大多数情况下，宿舍级别的同伴对主要转换和主要选择的影响比在社会群体级别更强。