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Why Do Dancers Smoke? Time Preference, Occupational Choice, and Wage Growth

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  • Lalith Munasinghe
  • Nachum Sicherman

Abstract

Time preference is a key determinant of occupational choice and investments in human capital. Since careers are characterized by different wage growth prospects, individual discount rates play an important role in the relative valuation of jobs or occupations. We predict that individuals with lower discount rates are more likely to select into jobs or occupations with steeper wage profiles. To test this hypothesis we use smoking as an instrument for time preference. Panel data from the NLSY (1979-94) are ideal for our purposes since it contains information on smoking behavior in addition to detailed work histories and other socio-economic variables. We find that smokers have substantially flatter wage profiles, and a higher marginal rate of substitution of current wages for future wages. Incidentally, a survey of several hundred undergraduates at Barnard and Columbia College show that dance majors have the highest smoking rate.

Suggested Citation

  • Lalith Munasinghe & Nachum Sicherman, 2000. "Why Do Dancers Smoke? Time Preference, Occupational Choice, and Wage Growth," NBER Working Papers 7542, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:7542
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    Cited by:

    1. Stefano DellaVigna & M. Daniele Paserman, 2005. "Job Search and Impatience," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 23(3), pages 527-588, July.
    2. Borghans, Lex & Golsteyn, Bart H.H., 2005. "Time Discounting and the Body Mass Index," IZA Discussion Papers 1597, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Donald P. Morgan, 2007. "Defining and detecting predatory lending," Staff Reports 273, Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
    4. repec:pri:cheawb:llerasmuney1 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Matt Dickson, 2013. "The Causal Effect of Education on Wages Revisited," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 75(4), pages 477-498, August.
    6. Fersterer, Josef & Winter-Ebmer, Rudolf, 2003. "Smoking, discount rates, and returns to education," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 22(6), pages 561-566, December.
    7. Dohmen, Thomas, 2014. "Behavioral labor economics: Advances and future directions," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 71-85.
    8. Arabsheibani, Reza & Staneva, Anita, 2012. "Returns to Education in Russia: Where There Is Risky Sexual Behaviour There Is Also an Instrument," IZA Discussion Papers 6726, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    9. Victor Rios-Rull & Josep Pijoan-Mas, 2005. "Health and Heterogeneity," 2005 Meeting Papers 644, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    10. Jeremy M. Weinstein, 2005. "Resources and the Information Problem in Rebel Recruitment," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 49(4), pages 598-624, August.
    11. Carina Cavalcanti & Andreas Leibbrandt, 2017. "Impulsivity, Voluntary Cooperation, and Denunciation among Fishermen," Monash Economics Working Papers 10-17, Monash University, Department of Economics.
    12. Finke, Michael S. & Huston, Sandra J., 2013. "Time preference and the importance of saving for retirement," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 23-34.
    13. Andrew Postlewaite & Dan Silverman, 2005. "Social isolation and inequality," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 3(3), pages 243-262, December.
    14. Shane Frederick & George Loewenstein & Ted O'Donoghue, 2002. "Time Discounting and Time Preference: A Critical Review," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 40(2), pages 351-401, June.
    15. Audrey Laporte & Alfia Karimova & Brian Ferguson, 2010. "Quantile regression analysis of the rational addiction model: investigating heterogeneity in forward‐looking behavior," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 19(9), pages 1063-1074, September.
    16. Banerjee, Abhijit & Sequeira, Sandra, 2023. "Learning by searching: Spatial mismatches and imperfect information in Southern labor markets," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    17. Adriana Lleras-Muney, 2005. "The Relationship Between Education and Adult Mortality in the United States," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 72(1), pages 189-221.
    18. Harrell Chesson & Jami Leichliter & Gregory Zimet & Susan Rosenthal & David Bernstein & Kenneth Fife, 2006. "Discount rates and risky sexual behaviors among teenagers and young adults," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 32(3), pages 217-230, May.
    19. Russell James, 2009. "Tenant time preference as a barrier to homeownership," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(10), pages 1073-1077.
    20. Annemarie Nelen & Andries De Grip, 2009. "Why Do Part‐time Workers Invest Less in Human Capital than Full‐timers?," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 23(s1), pages 61-83, March.
    21. Elena Gouskova & Ngina Chiteji & Frank Stafford, 2010. "Pension Participation: Do Parents Transmit Time Preference?," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 31(2), pages 138-150, June.
    22. Borghans, Lex & Golsteyn, Bart H.H., 2005. "Time Discounting and the Body Mass Index," IZA Discussion Papers 1597, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    23. Sequeira, Sandra & Banerjee, Abhijit, 2020. "Spatial Mismatches and Imperfect Information in the Job Search," CEPR Discussion Papers 14414, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    24. Borghans, Lex & Golsteyn, Bart H.H., 2006. "Time discounting and the body mass index: Evidence from the Netherlands," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 4(1), pages 39-61, January.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J2 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor
    • J3 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs

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