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Sex-Differences in Language and Socio-emotional Skills in Early Childhood

Author

Listed:
  • Bando, Rosangela
  • Lopez Boo, Florencia
  • Li, Xia

Abstract

This study explores sex differences in language and socio-emotional skills. It focuses on children 7 months old to 6 years old in Chile in 2012 and Nicaragua in 2013. A focus on young children allowed for ruling out a set of environmental and identity effects to explain the gap. Females had an advantage in both countries and both dimensions. Males in Chile scored at -0.13 standard deviations (SD) in language in the distribution of females. In addition, males scored at -0.20 SD in socio-emotional skills. The gaps in Nicaragua were not statistically different to those in Chile. Thus geographical and cultural variation across the two countries did not affect the gap. Within countries, variation in family characteristics, parenting practices and health investments did not explain the gap either. These findings shed light on the role of biological and environmental factors to explain sex gaps. The identification of the role of these factors is necessary to inform policy.

Suggested Citation

  • Bando, Rosangela & Lopez Boo, Florencia & Li, Xia, 2016. "Sex-Differences in Language and Socio-emotional Skills in Early Childhood," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 7808, Inter-American Development Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:idb:brikps:7808
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    File URL: https://publications.iadb.org/publications/english/document/Sex-Differences-in-Language-and-Socio-emotional-Skills-in-Early-Childhood.pdf
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    Cited by:

    1. Rosangela Bando, 2019. "Evidence-based gender equality policy and pay in Latin America and the Caribbean: progress and challenges," Latin American Economic Review, Springer;Centro de Investigaciòn y Docencia Económica (CIDE), vol. 28(1), pages 1-23, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    socio-emotional skills; language development;

    JEL classification:

    • I25 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Economic Development
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification

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