Research Paper: Patterns in Student Attendance: A Game Theoretic Exploration

Ishan Kashyap Hazarika, Mahima Yadav & Sourabh Rai, B.A. (Hon.) Economics, 2021

Abstract

Attendance has not only been a crucial issue in educational institutes, but also presents an opportunity to study patterns in human behaviour. The current paper seeks to identify and explain such patterns using a game-theoretic framework. The paper develops a game-theoretic model of student attendance and makes certain salient predictions- the fall in attendance across the semester and the tendency of students who have attended more in the past continuing to do so in the future too. These predictions are then tested using primary data collected by the authors. Both the predictions are corroborated or are consistent with the data. A well-tested model of student behaviour, as developed in this paper may be leveraged to estimate students’ response to policies regarding attendance. This is expected to help design better policies. Furthermore, the model helps us peek into the choices that students make and the strategic aspect involved, which is expected to further a pure understanding of human behaviour.

Keywords: Attendance, Strategic Behaviour, Education, Student Behaviour, Data Patterns

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Patterns in Student Attendance- A Game Theoretic Exploration

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Note that this is a pre-print. The paper is currently in the final stages of the peer- review process.