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The Effect of School Rank on Personality Traits

Author

Listed:
  • Laura Pagani
  • Simona Comi
  • Federica Origo

Abstract

We study the effect of classroom rank on high school students’ Big Five personality traits. We exploit idiosyncratic differences in the class distribution of earlier academic achievement. Such differences generate quasi-random variation in class rank for students with the same initial achievement. We find a positive and sizeable effect of rank on conscientiousness, but we find no effects on the other four personality traits. A thorough analysis of the mechanism suggests that the primary channels through which class rank improves conscientiousness are perceived ability and academic motivation.

Suggested Citation

  • Laura Pagani & Simona Comi & Federica Origo, 2021. "The Effect of School Rank on Personality Traits," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 56(4), pages 1187-1225.
    • Handle: RePEc:uwp:jhriss:v:56:y:2021:i:4:p:1187-1225
    Note: DOI: 10.3368/jhr.56.4.1218-9916R2
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    File URL: http://jhr.uwpress.org/cgi/reprint/56/4/1187
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Goller, Daniel & Diem, Andrea & Wolter, Stefan C., 2023. "Sitting next to a dropout: Academic success of students with more educated peers," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    2. Francois-Xavier Ladant & Julien Hedou & Paolo Sestito & Falco J. Bargagli-Stoffi, 2023. "What is essential is visible to the eye: Saliency in primary school ranking and its effect on academic achievements," Papers 2302.10026, arXiv.org, revised Jan 2024.
    3. Megalokonomou, Rigissa & Zhang, Yi, 2022. "How Good Am I? Effects and Mechanisms behind Salient Ranks," IZA Discussion Papers 15604, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Bertoni, Marco & Nisticò, Roberto, 2023. "Ordinal rank and the structure of ability peer effects," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 217(C).
    5. Rigissa Megalokonomou & Yi Zhang, 2023. "How Good Am I? Effects and Mechanisms Behind Salient Rank," Monash Economics Working Papers 2023-07, Monash University, Department of Economics.
    6. Di Liberto, Adriana & Giua, Ludovica & Schivardi, Fabiano & Sideri, Marco & Sulis, Giovanni, 2023. "Managerial Practices and Student Performance: Evidence from Changes in School Principals," IZA Discussion Papers 16203, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    7. Delaney, Judith M. & Devereux, Paul J., 2022. "Rank Effects in Education: What Do We Know So Far?," IZA Discussion Papers 15128, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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