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The relative importance of adolescent skills and behaviors for adult earnings: A cross-national study

Author

Listed:
  • Kathryn Duckworth

    (Institute of Education, University of London, 20 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AL, UK.)

  • Greg J. Duncan

    (University of California, Irvine, 2056 Education, Mail Code: 5500, Irvine, CA, 92697.)

  • Katja Kokko

    (Department of Psychology, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 University of Jyvaskyla.)

  • Anna-Liisa Lyyra

    (Department of Psychology, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 University of Jyvaskyla.)

  • Molly Metzger

    (Northwestern University, 626 Library Place, Evanston, IL 60208.)

  • Sharon Simonton

    (University of Michigan, Institute for Social Research, 426 Thompson Street, Ann Arbor, MI.)

Abstract

Seeking convergent findings in five data sets from four countries, we assess the relative importance of adolescent skills and behaviors for completed schooling and labor market success in adulthood. We provide a framework for classifying "noncognitive" skills and use data designed by developmental psychologists to provide reliable measures of a variety of achievement and behavioral skills assessed between ages 13 and 16. Results show that adolescent achievement, particularly math achievement, is a stronger predictor of completed schooling than measures of noncognitive skills. Achievement skills also out-predict noncognitive skills with regard to adult earnings, although the differences are not as striking.

Suggested Citation

  • Kathryn Duckworth & Greg J. Duncan & Katja Kokko & Anna-Liisa Lyyra & Molly Metzger & Sharon Simonton, 2012. "The relative importance of adolescent skills and behaviors for adult earnings: A cross-national study," DoQSS Working Papers 12-03, Quantitative Social Science - UCL Social Research Institute, University College London.
    • Handle: RePEc:qss:dqsswp:1203
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Francesconi, Marco & Heckman, James J., 2016. "Symposium on Child Development and Parental Investment: Introduction," IZA Discussion Papers 9977, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    2. Francesconi, Marco & Heckman, James J, 2015. "Symposium on Child Development and Parental Investment: Introduction," Economics Discussion Papers 16868, University of Essex, Department of Economics.
    3. James J. Heckman & Stefano Mosso, 2014. "The Economics of Human Development and Social Mobility," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 6(1), pages 689-733, August.
    4. Shelly Lundberg, 2013. "The College Type: Personality and Educational Inequality," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 31(3), pages 421-441.
    5. Guerra, Nancy & Modecki, Kathryn & Cunningham, Wendy, 2014. "Developing social-emotional skills for the labor market : the PRACTICE model," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7123, The World Bank.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    adolescent skills; adolescent behaviors; adult earnings;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • J45 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Public Sector Labor Markets

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