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What determines adult cognitive skills?: Impacts of preschooling, schooling, and post-schooling experiences in Guatemala

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  • Behrman, Jere R.
  • Hoddinott, John
  • Maluccio, John A.
  • Soler-Hampejsek, Erica
  • Behrman, Emily L.
  • Martorell, Reynaldo
  • Ramírez-Zea, Manuel
  • Stein, Aryeh D.

Abstract

"Most investigations into the importance and determinants of adult cognitive skills assume that (1) they are produced primarily by schooling, and (2) schooling is statistically predetermined or exogenous. This study uses longitudinal data collected in Guatemala over 35 years to investigate production functions for adult cognitive skills—that is, reading-comprehension skills and nonverbal cognitive skills—as being dependent on behaviorally determined preschooling, schooling, and post-schooling experiences. We use an indicator of whether the child was stunted (child height-for-age Z-score

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  • Behrman, Jere R. & Hoddinott, John & Maluccio, John A. & Soler-Hampejsek, Erica & Behrman, Emily L. & Martorell, Reynaldo & Ramírez-Zea, Manuel & Stein, Aryeh D., 2008. "What determines adult cognitive skills?: Impacts of preschooling, schooling, and post-schooling experiences in Guatemala," IFPRI discussion papers 826, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    • Handle: RePEc:fpr:ifprid:826
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    Cited by:

    1. Jere R. Behrman & John Hoddinott & John A. Maluccio & Reynaldo Martorell, 2009. "Brains versus Brawn: Labor Market Returns to Intellectual and Health Human Capital in a Poor Developing Country," Middlebury College Working Paper Series 0907, Middlebury College, Department of Economics.
    2. Joanna M Clifton-Sprigg, 2019. "Out of sight, out of mind? The education outcomes of children with parents working abroad," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 71(1), pages 73-94.
    3. Futoshi Yamauchi, 2008. "Early Childhood Nutrition, Schooling, and Sibling Inequality in a Dynamic Context: Evidence from South Africa," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 56(3), pages 657-682, April.
    4. Özler, Berk & Fernald, Lia C.H. & Kariger, Patricia & McConnell, Christin & Neuman, Michelle & Fraga, Eduardo, 2018. "Combining pre-school teacher training with parenting education: A cluster-randomized controlled trial," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 448-467.
    5. Maninder Kaur & Raminder Kaur & Priyanka Walia, 2020. "Exploring Gender Disparity in Nutritional Status and Dietary Intake of Adolescents in Uttarkashi," Indian Journal of Human Development, , vol. 14(1), pages 115-127, April.
    6. Cutler, David M. & Lleras-Muney, Adriana, 2010. "Understanding differences in health behaviors by education," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 1-28, January.
    7. Maluccio, John A. & Hoddinott, John & Behrman, Jere R. & Martorell, Reynaldo & Quisumbing, Agnes R. & Stein, Aryeh D., 2006. "The impact of an experimental nutritional intervention in childhood on education among Guatemalan adults," FCND briefs 207, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    8. Deutsch, Joseph & Dumas, Audrey & Silber, Jacques, 2013. "Estimating an educational production function for five countries of Latin America on the basis of the PISA data," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 245-262.
    9. John A. Maluccio & John Hoddinott & Jere R. Behrman & Reynaldo Martorell & Agnes R. Quisumbing & Aryeh D. Stein, 2009. "The Impact of Improving Nutrition During Early Childhood on Education among Guatemalan Adults," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 119(537), pages 734-763, April.
    10. John A. Maluccio, & John Hoddinott & Jere R. Behrman & Reynaldo Martorell & Agnes R. Quisumbing & Aryeh D. Stein, 2003. "The Impact of Nutrition during Early Childhood on Education among Guatemalan Adults," PIER Working Paper Archive 06-026, Penn Institute for Economic Research, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania, revised 01 Aug 2006.
    11. Elisabetta Aurino & Francesco Burchi, 2014. "Children’s Multidimensional Health and Medium-Run Cognitive Skills in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (Documento de Trabajo 129 – Salud multidimensional de los niños y sus habilidades cognitivas en e," Documentos de Trabajo (Niños del Milenio-GRADE) ninosm129, Niños del Milenio (Young Lives).
    12. Escobal, Javier & Flores, Eva, 2009. "Maternal Migration and Child Well-Being in Peru," MPRA Paper 56463, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Arvind Panagariya, 2012. "The Myth of Child Malnutrition in India," Working Papers 201204, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University, revised Dec 2012.
    14. Chellaraj,Gnanaraj & Mattoo,Aaditya & Chellaraj,Gnanaraj & Mattoo,Aaditya, 2015. "Can the knowledge capital model explain foreign investment in services ? the case of Singapore," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7186, The World Bank.
    15. Tarozzi, Alessandro, 2008. "Growth reference charts and the nutritional status of Indian children," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 6(3), pages 455-468, December.
    16. Abhishek Kumar & William Joe, 2020. "Cost-Benefit Analyses of Nutrition Interventions in India’s Policy Framework," IEG Working Papers 406, Institute of Economic Growth.
    17. Behrman, Jere R. & Murphy, Alexis & Quisumbing, Agnes & Ramakrishnan,Usha & Yount, Kathyrn, 2006. "What is the real impact of schooling on age of first union and age of first parenting ? New evidence from Guatemala," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4023, The World Bank.
    18. Javier Escobal & Eva Flores, 2009. "Maternal Migration and Child Well-being in Peru(Migración materna y bienestar infantil en el Perú)," Documentos de Trabajo (Niños del Milenio-GRADE) ninosm56, Niños del Milenio (Young Lives).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Human capital; cognitive skills; Stunting; work experience; Development; Education; Gender; Health and nutrition;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I2 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education
    • O1 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development

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