TY  - RPRT
        AU  - Gong, Xiaodong
AU  - Freyens, Benoit Pierre
        TI  - Identifying Peer Effects under Reflection: A Panel-Data Approach
        PY  - 2026/Jul/
        PB  - Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
        CY  - Bonn
        T2  - IZA Discussion Paper
        IS  - 18808
        UR  - https://www.iza.org/publications/dp18808
        AB  - We propose a new approach to identifying peer effects that addresses the reflection problem by using the timing of decisions. The approach combines panel data with the ordering of decisions to separate peer influence from simultaneity. Variation in the order of decisions and in exposure to peers provides the basis for identification, allowing estimation of peer effects in settings where standard approaches are not informative. We illustrate the method using a multi-level panel of more than 2,000 judicial rulings over a 16-year period, where cases are randomly assigned to judges. The data  allow us to implement the approach and examine the sources of peer influence. We find heterogeneous and asymmetric responses, with both the magnitude and direction of effects differing across types.
        KW  - peer effects
KW  - reflection problem
KW  - judicial decisions
        ER  -