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Children’s patience and school-track choices several years later: Linking experimental and field data

Author

Listed:
  • Silvia Angerer

    (UMIT – Private University for Health Sciences, Medical Informatics and Technology)

  • Jana Bolvashenkova

    (ifo Institute at the University of Munich)

  • Daniela Glätzle-Rützler

    (University of Innsbruck)

  • Philipp Lergetporer

    (Ohio University)

  • Matthias Sutter

    (Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods, University of Cologne, University of Innsbruck, IZA, and CESifo)

Abstract
We present direct evidence on the link between children’s patience and educational-track choices years later. Combining an incentivized patience measure of 493 primary-school children with their high-school track choices taken at least three years later at the end of middle school, we find that patience significantly predicts choosing an academic track. This relationship remains robust after controlling for a rich set of covariates, such as family background, school-class fixed effects, risk preferences, and cognitive abilities, and is not driven by sample attrition. Accounting for middle-school GPA as a potential mediating factor suggests a direct link between patience and educational-track choice.

Suggested Citation

  • Silvia Angerer & Jana Bolvashenkova & Daniela Glätzle-Rützler & Philipp Lergetporer & Matthias Sutter, 2021. "Children’s patience and school-track choices several years later: Linking experimental and field data," Discussion Paper Series of the Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods 2021_12, Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods.
    • Handle: RePEc:mpg:wpaper:2021_12
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    Cited by:

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    2. Eric A. Hanushek & Lavinia Kinne & Pietro Sancassani & Ludger Woessmann, 2023. "Can Patience Account for Subnational Differences in Student Achievement? Regional Analysis with Facebook Interests," CESifo Working Paper Series 10660, CESifo.
    3. Thomas Buser & Rafael Ahlskog & Magnus Johannesson & Philipp Koellinger & Sven Oskarsson, 2021. "Using Genes to Explore the Effects of Cognitive and Non-cognitive Skills on Education and Labor Market Outcomes," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 21-088/I, Tinbergen Institute, revised 29 Mar 2023.
    4. Antonio Alfonso & Pablo Brañas-Garza & Diego Jorrat & Benjamín Prissé & María José Vázquez-De Francisco, 2024. "The Baking of Preferences throughout the High School," Working Papers 316, Red Nacional de Investigadores en Economía (RedNIE).
    5. Hanushek, Eric A. & Kinne, Lavinia & Sancassani, Pietro & Woessmann, Ludger, 2024. "Patience and Subnational Differences in Human Capital: Regional Analysis with Facebook Interests," CAGE Online Working Paper Series 731, Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    patience; education; school track choice; children; lab-in-the-field experiment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior
    • D90 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - General
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • J2 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor

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