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The Causal Impact of Socio-Emotional Skills Training on Educational Success

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  • Sorrenti, Giuseppe

    (University of Amsterdam)

  • Zölitz, Ulf

    (University of Zurich)

  • Ribeaud, Denis

    (University of Zurich)

  • Eisner, Manuel

    (University of Cambridge)

Abstract

We study the long-term effects of a randomized intervention targeting children's socio-emotional skills. The classroom-based intervention for primary school children has positive impacts that persist for over a decade. Treated children become more likely to complete academic high school and enroll in university. Two mechanisms drive these results. Treated children show fewer ADHD symptoms: they are less impulsive and less disruptive. They also attain higher grades, but they do not score higher on standardized tests. The long-term effects on educational attainment thus appear to be driven by changes in socio-emotional skills rather than cognitive skills.

Suggested Citation

  • Sorrenti, Giuseppe & Zölitz, Ulf & Ribeaud, Denis & Eisner, Manuel, 2020. "The Causal Impact of Socio-Emotional Skills Training on Educational Success," IZA Discussion Papers 13087, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp13087
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    Cited by:

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    2. Bhargava, Palaash & Chen, Daniel L. & Sutter, Matthias & Terrier, Camille, 2022. "Homophily and Transmission of Behavioral Traits in Social Networks," IZA Discussion Papers 15840, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Armin Falk & Fabian Kosse & Pia Pinger, 2020. "Mentoring and Schooling Decisions: Causal Evidence," CESifo Working Paper Series 8382, CESifo.
    4. Cobb-Clark, Deborah A. & Dahmann, Sarah Christina & Kamhöfer, Daniel A. & Schildberg-Hörisch, Hannah, 2022. "The determinants of population self-control," DICE Discussion Papers 385, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics (DICE).
    5. Mark Gradstein, 2022. "Cultural Attributes, Income Inequality, and Ethnic Differentials," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 44, pages 91-103, April.
    6. de Ree, Joppe & Maggioni, Mario A. & Paulle, Bowen & Rossignoli, Domenico & Ruijs, Nienke & Walentek, Dawid, 2023. "Closing the income-achievement gap? Experimental evidence from high-dosage tutoring in Dutch primary education," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    7. Elena Claudia Meroni & Daniela Piazzalunga & Chiara Pronzato, 2022. "Allocation of time and child socio-emotional skills," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 1155-1192, December.
    8. Kerstin Grosch & Simone Haeckl & Martin G. Kocher, 2022. "Closing the Gender STEM Gap - A Large-Scale Randomized-Controlled Trial in Elementary Schools," CESifo Working Paper Series 9907, CESifo.
    9. Sule Alan & Ceren Baysan & Mert Gumren & Elif Kubilay, 2021. "Building Social Cohesion in Ethnically Mixed Schools: An Intervention on Perspective Taking," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 136(4), pages 2147-2194.
    10. Jan Bietenbeck, 2020. "Own Motivation, Peer Motivation, and Educational Success," CESifo Working Paper Series 8696, CESifo.
    11. Gian Paolo Barbetta & Patrick Chuard-Keller & Giuseppe Sorrenti & Gilberto Turati, 2022. "Good or Bad? Short- versus Long-Term Effects of Multigrading on Child Achievement," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 22-025/V, Tinbergen Institute.
    12. Cobb-Clark, Deborah A. & Dahmann, Sarah C. & Kamhöfer, Daniel A. & Schildberg-Hörisch, Hannah, 2022. "The Predictive Power of Self-Control for Life Outcomes," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 197(C), pages 725-744.
    13. Del Bono, Emilia & Etheridge, Ben & Garcia, Paul, 2024. "The economic value of childhood socio-emotional skills," ISER Working Paper Series 2024-01, Institute for Social and Economic Research.
    14. Eva Berger, 2020. "Self-productivity and Cross-productivity in the Process of Skill Formation," Working Papers 2027, Gutenberg School of Management and Economics, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    socio-emotional skills; randomized intervention; child development; school tracking;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • I26 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Returns to Education
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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