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Parenting Practices and Children’s Cognitive Effort: A Laboratory Study

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  • Foley, William
  • Radl, Jonas

Abstract

We examine the association between parenting practices (discipline and support) and children’s cognitive effort. Cognitive effort is hard to measure; hence, little is known about effort dispositions, and how parenting practices affect effort. We analyse data from 1,148 fifth-grade students from Berlin and Madrid (around 11 years of age). Cognitive effort is measured with tests of executive function, carried out under two reward schemes: an unincentivised and incentivised condition. We study two effort-related outcomes: “effort direction” – the child’s decision to voluntarily do a real-effort task – and “effort intensity” – the child’s performance on the task. In line with theoretical expectations, results indicate that both parental discipline and support are associated with effort direction when the moderating role of incentives is taken into account. However, only parental discipline is (weakly) associated with effort intensity. We conclude that parenting practices primarily influence deliberative rather than instinctual types of cognitive effort.

Suggested Citation

  • Foley, William & Radl, Jonas, 2025. "Parenting Practices and Children’s Cognitive Effort: A Laboratory Study," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 45(4), pages 481-507.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:espost:318335
    DOI: 10.1177/02724316241250062
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    1. Silke Anger & Daniel D. Schnitzlein, 2017. "Cognitive skills, non-cognitive skills, and family background: evidence from sibling correlations," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 30(2), pages 591-620, April.
    2. Bhashkar Mazumder, 2008. "Sibling similarities and economic inequality in the US," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 21(3), pages 685-701, July.
    3. Yujun LiuPhD & Margie E LachmanPhD & J Jill SuitorPhDDecision Editor, 2019. "Socioeconomic Status and Parenting Style From Childhood: Long-Term Effects on Cognitive Function in Middle and Later Adulthood," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 74(6), pages 13-24.
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