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Schooling and Self-Control

Author

Listed:
  • Cobb-Clark, Deborah A.
  • Dahmann, Sarah C.
  • Kamhöfer, Daniel A.
  • Schildberg-Hörisch, Hannah

Abstract

While there is an established positive relationship between self-control and education, the direction of causality remains a matter of debate. We make a contribution to resolving this issue by exploiting a series of Australian and German educational reforms that increased minimum education requirements as a source of exogenous variation in education levels. We find no evidence that an additional year of schooling increased the self-control of those people affected by the reforms, though our limited estimation power makes our estimates somewhat imprecise. Thus, while enhancing self-control through school-based interventions may be feasible, simply increasing the time early school leavers spend in formal education does not seem to meaningfully increase their self-control.

Suggested Citation

  • 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).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:237:y:2025:i:c:s0167268125002665
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2025.107147
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • D90 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - General
    • I26 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Returns to Education
    • C26 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Instrumental Variables (IV) Estimation

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