IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/iza/izadps/dp15252.html

Measuring Knowledge

Author

Listed:
  • Heckman, James J.

    (University of Chicago)

  • Zhou, Jin

    (University of Chicago)

Abstract

Empirical studies in the economics of education, the measurement of skill gaps across demographic groups, and the impacts of interventions on skill formation rely on psychometrically validated test scores that record the proportion of items correctly answered. Test scores are sometimes taken as measures of an invariant scale of human capital that can be compared over time and people. We show that for a prototypical test, invariance is violated. We use an unusually rich data set from an early childhood intervention program that measures knowledge of narrowly defined skills on essentially equivalent subsets of tasks. We examine if conventional, broadly-defined measures of skill are the same across people who are comparable on detailed knowledge measures. We reject the hypothesis of aggregate scale invariance and call into question the uncritical use of test scores in research on education and on skill formation. We compare different measures of skill and ability and reject the hypothesis of valid aggregate measures of skill.

Suggested Citation

  • Heckman, James J. & Zhou, Jin, 2022. "Measuring Knowledge," IZA Discussion Papers 15252, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp15252
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://docs.iza.org/dp15252.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Flavio Cunha & James J. Heckman & Susanne M. Schennach, 2010. "Estimating the Technology of Cognitive and Noncognitive Skill Formation," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 78(3), pages 883-931, May.
    2. Heather C. Hill, 2009. "Evaluating value-added models: A validity argument approach," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(4), pages 700-709.
    3. Petra E. Todd & Kenneth I. Wolpin, 2007. "The Production of Cognitive Achievement in Children: Home, School, and Racial Test Score Gaps," Journal of Human Capital, University of Chicago Press, vol. 1(1), pages 91-136.
    4. Francesco Agostinelli & Morteza Saharkhiz & Matthew J. Wiswall, 2019. "Home and School in the Development of Children," NBER Working Papers 26037, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Marta Rubio-Codina & María Caridad Araujo & Orazio P. Attanasio & Sally Grantham-McGregor, 2016. "Concurrent Validity and Feasibility of Short Tests Currently Used to Measure Early Childhood Development in Large Scale Studies: Methodology and Results," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 95556, Inter-American Development Bank.
    6. Flavio Cunha & James J. Heckman, 2008. "Formulating, Identifying and Estimating the Technology of Cognitive and Noncognitive Skill Formation," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 43(4).
    7. John Cawley & James Heckman & Edward Vytlacil, 1999. "On Policies To Reward The Value Added By Educators," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 81(4), pages 720-727, November.
    8. Flavio Cunha & Eric Nielsen & Benjamin Williams, 2021. "The Econometrics of Early Childhood Human Capital and Investments," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 13(1), pages 487-513, August.
    9. Rubio-Codina, Marta & Araujo, María Caridad & Attanasio, Orazio P. & Grantham-McGregor, Sally, 2016. "Concurrent Validity and Feasibility of Short Tests Currently Used to Measure Early Childhood Development in Large Scale Studies: Methodology and Results," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 7823, Inter-American Development Bank.
    10. Steven G. Rivkin & Eric A. Hanushek & John F. Kain, 2005. "Teachers, Schools, and Academic Achievement," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 73(2), pages 417-458, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. James J. Heckman & Jin Zhou, 2022. "Measuring Knowledge and Learning," NBER Working Papers 29990, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Dan Anderberg & Gloria Moroni & Alexander Vickery, 2025. "Intimate Partner Violence and Children's Human Capital," CESifo Working Paper Series 12239, CESifo.
    3. Dan Anderberg & Gloria Moroni & Alexander Vickery, 2025. "Intimate partner violence and children's human capital," IFS Working Papers W25/52, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
    4. Flavio Cunha & James J. Heckman & Susanne M. Schennach, 2010. "Estimating the Technology of Cognitive and Noncognitive Skill Formation," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 78(3), pages 883-931, May.
    5. 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.
    6. Marta Favara & Catherine Porter & Tassew Woldehanna, 2019. "Smarter through social protection? Evaluating the impact of Ethiopia’s safety-net on child cognitive abilities," Oxford Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 47(1), pages 79-96, January.
    7. Borga, Liyousew G. & Münich, Daniel & Kukla, Lubomir, 2021. "The socioeconomic gradient in child health and noncognitive skills: Evidence from the Czech Republic," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
    8. Flèche, Sarah & Lekfuangfu, Warn N. & Clark, Andrew E., 2021. "The long-lasting effects of family and childhood on adult wellbeing: Evidence from British cohort data," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 181(C), pages 290-311.
    9. Coneus, Katja & Laucht, Manfred & Reuß, Karsten, 2012. "The role of parental investments for cognitive and noncognitive skill formation—Evidence for the first 11 years of life," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 10(2), pages 189-209.
    10. Ronni Pavan, 2016. "On the Production of Skills and the Birth-Order Effect," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 51(3), pages 699-726.
    11. Juan F. Castro, 2015. "Linear decompositions of cognitive achievement gaps a cautionary note and an illustration using peruvian data," Working Papers 15-08, Centro de Investigación, Universidad del Pacífico.
    12. Rodrigo Ceni & Maira Colacce & Gonzalo Salas, 2023. "Initial inequality, unequal development: Effects of family movements on child development," Documentos de Trabajo (working papers) 23-07, Instituto de Economía - IECON.
    13. Derek Neal, 2011. "The Design of Performance Pay in Education," NBER Working Papers 16710, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    14. Jere R. Behrman & Susan W. Parker & Petra Todd & Weilong Zhang, 2025. "Prospering through Prospera: A dynamic model of CCT impacts on educational attainment and achievement in Mexico," Quantitative Economics, Econometric Society, vol. 16(1), pages 133-183, January.
    15. Jonathan Norris & Martijn van Hasselt, 2023. "Troubled in school: does maternal involvement matter for adolescents?," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 36(4), pages 2655-2689, October.
    16. Borghans, Lex & Golsteyn, Bart H. H. & Heckman, James & Humphries, John Eric, 2011. "Identification Problems in Personality Psychology," Working Paper Series 5/2011, Stockholm University, Swedish Institute for Social Research.
    17. Emilia Del Bono & Marco Francesconi & Yvonne Kelly & Amanda Sacker, 2016. "Early Maternal Time Investment and Early Child Outcomes," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 126(596), pages 96-135, October.
    18. Haelermans, Carla & Ghysels, Joris, 2019. "Effectively involving low-SES parents in human capital development," ROA Research Memorandum 008, Maastricht University, Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA).
    19. Greta Morando & Lucinda Platt, 2022. "The Impact of Centre‐based Childcare on Non‐cognitive Skills of Young Children," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 89(356), pages 908-946, October.
    20. Nguyen, Ha Trong & Brinkman, Sally & Le, Huong Thu & Zubrick, Stephen R. & Mitrou, Francis, 2022. "Gender differences in time allocation contribute to differences in developmental outcomes in children and adolescents," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • C81 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Data Collection and Data Estimation Methodology; Computer Programs - - - Methodology for Collecting, Estimating, and Organizing Microeconomic Data; Data Access
    • J71 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Hiring and Firing

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp15252. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Holger Hinte (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/izaaade.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.