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Personality traits as an engine of knowledge: A quantile regression approach

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  • Polemis, Michael

Abstract

We use a unique micro-level data set to investigate the impact of personality traits on education. To the best of our knowledge this is the first study shedding light on the contribution of each of the Big Five personality traits on the education decision made by the individuals. Our findings, uncover a significant effect of non-cognitive skills on the level of education. Specifically, we argue that the estimated signs of the non-cognitive skills remain stable across the quantiles. It is shown that people with high emotional stability invest in human capital. Lastly, our model survived robustness checks under the inclusion of two aggregated higher-order factors.

Suggested Citation

  • Polemis, Michael, 2018. "Personality traits as an engine of knowledge: A quantile regression approach," MPRA Paper 88614, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:88614
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cobb-Clark, Deborah A. & Schurer, Stefanie, 2012. "The stability of big-five personality traits," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 115(1), pages 11-15.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Non-cognitive skills; Big Five personality traits; Education; Quantiles;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C31 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Cross-Sectional Models; Spatial Models; Treatment Effect Models; Quantile Regressions; Social Interaction Models
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality

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