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The Impact of Childhood Social Skills and Self-Control Training on Economic and Noneconomic Outcomes: Evidence from a Randomized Experiment Using Administrative Data

Author

Listed:
  • Yann Algan
  • Elizabeth Beasley
  • Sylvana Côté
  • Jungwee Park
  • Richard E. Tremblay
  • Frank Vitaro

Abstract

A childhood intervention to improve the social skills and self-control of at-risk kindergarten boys in the 1980s had positive impacts over the life course: higher trust and self-control as adolescents; increased social group membership, education, and reduced criminality as young adults; and increased marriage and employment as adults. Using administrative data, we find this intervention increased average yearly employment income by about 20 percent and decreased average yearly social transfers by almost 40 percent. We estimate that $1 invested in this program around age 8 yields about $11 in benefits by age 39, with an internal rate of return of around 17 percent.

Suggested Citation

  • Yann Algan & Elizabeth Beasley & Sylvana Côté & Jungwee Park & Richard E. Tremblay & Frank Vitaro, 2022. "The Impact of Childhood Social Skills and Self-Control Training on Economic and Noneconomic Outcomes: Evidence from a Randomized Experiment Using Administrative Data," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 112(8), pages 2553-2579, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aecrev:v:112:y:2022:i:8:p:2553-79
    DOI: 10.1257/aer.20200224
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    Cited by:

    1. Lisa A. Gennetian & Greg Duncan & Nathan A. Fox & Katherine Magnuson & Sarah Halpern-Meekin & Kimberly G. Noble & Hirokazu Yoshikawa, 2022. "Unconditional Cash and Family Investments in Infants: Evidence from a Large-Scale Cash Transfer Experiment in the U.S," NBER Working Papers 30379, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Bhargava, Palaash & Chen, Daniel L. & Sutter, Matthias & Terrier, Camille, 2022. "Homophily and Transmission of Behavioral Traits in Social Networks," IZA Discussion Papers 15840, IZA Network @ LISER.
    3. Etienne Dagorn & David Masclet & Thierry Penard, 2026. "Altruism, cooperativeness and academic achievement: a lab in the field experiment in French middle schools," Education Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 34(1), pages 1-28, January.
    4. Yann Algan & Elizabeth Beasley & Sylvana Côté & Jungwee Park & Richard E. Tremblay & Frank Vitaro, 2022. "The Impact of Childhood Social Skills and Self-Control Training on Economic and Noneconomic Outcomes: Evidence from a Randomized Experiment Using Administrative Data," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 112(8), pages 2553-2579, August.
    5. Wu, Binglan & Feng, Shuaizhang & Zhang, Yijing & Han, Yujie, 2025. "Do children's time preferences predict future school outcomes?," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    6. Heckman, James J. & Galaty, Bridget & Tian, Haihan, 2023. "The Economic Approach to Personality, Character and Virtue," IZA Discussion Papers 16133, IZA Network @ LISER.
    7. Mikko Silliman & Juuso Mäkinen, 2026. "Life-cycle effects of public childcare: Evidence on children and their parents," RFBerlin Discussion Paper Series 26004, ROCKWOOL Foundation Berlin (RFBerlin).
    8. Alessandra Cassar & Alejandrina Cristia & Pauline Grosjean & Sarah Walker, 2025. "It makes a village: child care and prosociality," Post-Print hal-05533531, HAL.
    9. Guo, Baishu & Jin, Gui, 2025. "Beyond the land quantity: Rethinking the role of land quality in agriculture from the efficiency perspective," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    10. He, Fan & Zeng, Xin & Xue, Jingwen & Xu, Jianbin, 2024. "The hidden cost of corporate tax cuts: Evidence from worker health in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    11. Alessandra Cassar & Alejandrina Cristia & Pauline Grosjean & Sarah Walker, 2026. "It makes a village: child care and prosociality," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 31(1), pages 41-76, March.
    12. Marsh, Vic & Delavallade, Clara & Das, Smita & Rouanet, Lea Marie & Koroknay-Palicz, Tricia & McDaniel, Dawn, 2025. "Assessing Workplace Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Skills in Africa : The ESTEEM Framework," Policy Research Working Paper Series 11128, The World Bank.
    13. Randall Akee & Leah R. Clark, 2023. "Universal Preschool Lottery Admissions and Its Effects on Long-Run Earnings and Outcomes," Working Papers 23-09, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    14. Goulas, Sofoklis, 2026. "The Short- and Long-Run Impact of Comparative Noncognitive Skills," IZA Discussion Papers 18471, IZA Network @ LISER.
    15. Nicolas Moreau & Alexis Parmentier & Myl ne Lebon-Eyquem, 2024. "Is training helpful in boosting the self-confidence and professional integration of young people not in employment, education, or training? Results from a randomized," TEPP Working Paper 2024-01, TEPP.
    16. Cobb-Clark, Deborah A. & Dahmann, Sarah C. & Kamhöfer, Daniel A. & Schildberg-Hörisch, Hannah, 2025. "Schooling and Self-Control," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 237(C).
    17. Morando, Greta & Sen, Sonkurt, 2025. "Teacher Gender Effects on Students’ Socio-Emotional Skills," IZA Discussion Papers 17953, IZA Network @ LISER.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I26 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Returns to Education
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • 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
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification

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