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Does Schooling Improve Cognitive Functioning at Older Ages?

Author Info

  • Schneeweis, Nicole

    ()

    (University of Linz)

  • Skirbekk, Vegard

    ()

    (University of Rostock)

  • Winter-Ebmer, Rudolf

    ()

    (University of Linz)

Abstract

We study the relationship between education and cognitive functioning at older ages by exploiting compulsory schooling reforms, implemented in six European countries during the 1950s and 1960s. Using data of individuals aged 50+ from the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), we assess the causal effect of education on old-age memory, fluency, numeracy, orientation and dementia. We find a positive impact of schooling on memory. One year of education increases the delayed memory score by about 0.3, which amounts to 16% of the standard deviation. Furthermore, for women, we find that more education reduces the risk of dementia.

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Paper provided by Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in its series IZA Discussion Papers with number 6958.

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Length: 35 pages
Date of creation: Oct 2012
Date of revision:
Publication status: published as 'Does Education Improve Cognitive Performance Four Decades After School Completion?' in: Demography, 2014, 51 (2), 619-643
Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp6958
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Keywords: memory; cognitive functioning; education; instrumental variables; compulsory schooling; aging; dementia;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
  • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
  • J14 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of the Elderly; Economics of the Handicapped; Non-Labor Market Discrimination

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  1. Kathleen A. Cagney & Diane S. Lauderdale, 2002. "Education, Wealth, and Cognitive Function in Later Life," Journals of Gerontology: Series B, Gerontological Society of America, vol. 57(2), pages P163-P172.
  2. Fort, Margherita & Schneeweis, Nicole & Winter-Ebmer, Rudolf, 2011. "More Schooling, More Children: Compulsory Schooling Reforms and Fertility in Europe," IZA Discussion Papers 6015, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
  3. Schneeweis, Nicole & Skirbekk, Vegard & Winter-Ebmer, Rudolf, 2012. "Does Schooling Improve Cognitive Functioning at Older Ages?," IZA Discussion Papers 6958, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
  4. Torberg Falch & Sofia Sandgren Massih, 2011. "The Effect Of Education On Cognitive Ability," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 49(3), pages 838-856, 07.
  5. Giorgio Brunello & Margherita Fort & Guglielmo Weber, 2009. "Changes in Compulsory Schooling, Education and the Distribution of Wages in Europe," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 119(536), pages 516-539, 03.
  6. Jürgen Maurer, 2011. "Education and Male-Female Differences in Later-Life Cognition: International Evidence From Latin America and the Caribbean," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 48(3), pages 915-930, August.
  7. Garrouste, Christelle, 2010. "100 years of educational reforms in Europe: a contextual database," MPRA Paper 31853, University Library of Munich, Germany.
  8. James Banks & Fabrizio Mazzonna, 2012. "The Effect of Education on Old Age Cognitive Abilities: Evidence from a Regression Discontinuity Design," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 122(560), pages 418-448, 05.
  9. Elizabeth U. Cascio & Ethan G. Lewis, 2006. "Schooling and the Armed Forces Qualifying Test: Evidence from School-Entry Laws," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 41(2).
  10. SandraE. Black & PaulJ. Devereux & KjellG. Salvanes, 2008. "Staying in the Classroom and out of the maternity ward? The effect of compulsory schooling laws on teenage births," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 118(530), pages 1025-1054, 07.
  11. Giorgio Brunello & Daniele Fabbri & Margherita Fort, 2013. "The Causal Effect of Education on Body Mass: Evidence from Europe," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 31(1), pages 195 - 223.
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Cited by:

  1. Bassetti, Thomas & Rebba, Vincenzo, 2015. "Getting to the Roots of Long-Term Care Needs: A Regression Tree Analysis," MPRA Paper 66167, University Library of Munich, Germany.
  2. Schneeweis, Nicole & Skirbekk, Vegard & Winter-Ebmer, Rudolf, 2012. "Does Schooling Improve Cognitive Functioning at Older Ages?," Economics Series 293, Institute for Advanced Studies.
  3. Kamhöfer, Daniel & Schmitz, Hendrik, 2013. "Analyzing Zero Returns to Education in Germany: Heterogeneous Effects and Skill Formation," Annual Conference 2013 (Duesseldorf): Competition Policy and Regulation in a Global Economic Order 79910, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
  4. Carlsen, Fredrik & Kaarboe, Oddvar Martin, 2015. "The relationship between educational attainment and waiting time among the elderly in Norway," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 119(11), pages 1450-1458.

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