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Estimating the Production Function for Human Capital: Results from a Randomized Control Trial in Colombia

Author

Listed:
  • Orazio Attanasio

    (University College London & Institute for Fiscal Studies)

  • Sarah Cattan

    (Institute for Fiscal Studies)

  • Emla Fitzsimons

    (UCL Institute of Education & Institute for Fiscal Studies)

  • Costas Meghir

    () (Cowles Foundation, Yale University)

  • Marta Rubio-Codina

    (Institute for Fiscal Studies & Inter-American Development Bank)

Abstract

We examine the channels through which a randomized early childhood intervention in Colombia led to significant gains in cognitive and socio-emotional skills among a sample of disadvantaged children. We estimate production functions for cognitive and socio-emotional skills as a function of maternal skills and child's past skills, as well as material and time investments that are treated as endogenous. The effects of the program can be fully explained by increases in parental investments, which have strong effects on outcomes and are complementary to both maternal skills and child's past skills.

Suggested Citation

  • Orazio Attanasio & Sarah Cattan & Emla Fitzsimons & Costas Meghir & Marta Rubio-Codina, 2015. "Estimating the Production Function for Human Capital: Results from a Randomized Control Trial in Colombia," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 1987, Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, Yale University.
    • Handle: RePEc:cwl:cwldpp:1987
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Cited by:

    1. Heath, Rachel, 2017. "Fertility at work: Children and women's labor market outcomes in urban Ghana," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 190-214.
    2. Deckers, Thomas & Falk, Armin & Kosse, Fabian & Pinger, Pia & Schildberg-Hörisch, Hannah, 2017. "Socio-economic status and inequalities in children's IQ and economic preferences," DICE Discussion Papers 274, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics (DICE).
    3. Elizabeth M. Caucutt & Lance Lochner & Youngmin Park, 2017. "Correlation, Consumption, Confusion, or Constraints: Why Do Poor Children Perform so Poorly?," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 119(1), pages 102-147, January.
    4. Fletcher Jason M. & Schurer Stefanie, 2017. "Origins of Adulthood Personality: The Role of Adverse Childhood Experiences," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 17(2), pages 1-22, April.
    5. Cobb-Clark, Deborah A. & Salamanca, Nicolas & Zhu, Anna, 2016. "Parenting Style as an Investment in Human Development," IZA Discussion Papers 9686, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
    6. Elizabeth M. Caucutt & Lance Lochner, 2012. "Early and Late Human Capital Investments, Borrowing Constraints, and the Family," NBER Working Papers 18493, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Gaitz, Jason & Schurer, Stefanie, 2017. "Bonus Skills: Examining the Effect of an Unconditional Cash Transfer on Child Human Capital Formation," IZA Discussion Papers 10525, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
    8. Cheti Nicoletti & Valentina Tonei, 2017. "The response of parental time investments to the child’s skills and health," Discussion Papers 17/08, Department of Economics, University of York.
    9. Warn N. Lekfuangfu & Francesca Cornaglia & Nattavudh Powdthavee & Nele Warrinnier, 2014. "Locus of Control and Its Intergenerational Implications for Early Childhood Skill Formation," LICOS Discussion Papers 35314, LICOS - Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance, KU Leuven.
    10. Victor Lavy & Giulia Lotti & Zizhong Yan, 2016. "Empowering Mothers and Enhancing Early Childhood Investment: Effect on Adults Outcomes and Children Cognitive and Non-Cognitive Skills," NBER Working Papers 22963, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Francesco Agostinelli & Matthew Wiswall, 2016. "Estimating the Technology of Children's Skill Formation," NBER Working Papers 22442, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    12. Teodora Boneva & Christopher Rauh, 2015. "Parental Beliefs about Returns to Educational Investments: The Later the Better?," Working Papers 2015-019, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.
    13. Victoria Baranov & Sonia Bhalotra & Pietro Biroli & Joanna Maselko, 2017. "Maternal Depression, Women’s Empowerment, and Parental Investment: Evidence from a Large Randomized Control Trial," CHILD Working Papers Series 60 JEL Classification: I1, Centre for Household, Income, Labour and Demographic Economics (CHILD) - CCA.
    14. repec:iae:iaewps:wp2016n3 is not listed on IDEAS
    15. Jorge Rodriguez, 2017. "Understanding the Effects of Income and Child Care Subsidies on Children's Academic Achievement," 2017 Papers pro1077, Job Market Papers.
    16. Orla Doyle, 2017. "The First 2,000 Days and Child Skills: Evidence from a Randomized Experiment of Home Visiting," Working Papers 201715, School of Economics, University College Dublin.
    17. Dongwoo Kim & Daniel Wilhelm, 2017. "Powerful t-Tests in the presence of nonclassical measurement error," CeMMAP working papers CWP57/17, Centre for Microdata Methods and Practice, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
    18. Diana Lopez-Avila, 2016. "Measuring Women's Empowerment: lessons to better understand domestic violence," PSE Working Papers halshs-01294565, HAL.
    19. Baranov, Victoria & Bhalotra, Sonia R. & Biroli, Pietro & Maselko, Joanna, 2017. "Maternal Depression, Women’s Empowerment, and Parental Investment: Evidence from a Large Randomized Control Trial," IZA Discussion Papers 11187, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
    20. Nicoletti, Cheti & Tonei, Valentina, 2017. "The Response of Parental Time Investments to the Child's Skills and Health," IZA Discussion Papers 10993, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
    21. Orazio Attanasio & Costas Meghir & Emily Nix & Francesca Salvati, 2017. "Human Capital Growth and Poverty: Evidence from Ethiopia and Peru," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 25, pages 234-259, April.
    22. Juan Felipe Brando & Rafael J. Santos, 2015. "La Niña y los niños: Effects of an Unexpected Winter on Early Life Human Capital and Family Responses," DOCUMENTOS CEDE 013316, UNIVERSIDAD DE LOS ANDES-CEDE.
    23. Francesco Agostinelli & Matthew Wiswall, 2016. "Identification of Dynamic Latent Factor Models: The Implications of Re-Normalization in a Model of Child Development," NBER Working Papers 22441, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Early childhood development; Human capital; Poverty alleviation; Nonlinear factor models;

    JEL classification:

    • 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
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • I25 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Economic Development
    • I32 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Measurement and Analysis of Poverty
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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