The Impact of Childhood Social Skills and Self-Control Training on Economic and Noneconomic Outcomes: Evidence from a Randomized Experiment Using Administrative Data

S-Tier
Journal: American Economic Review
Year: 2022
Volume: 112
Issue: 8
Pages: 2553-79

Authors (6)

Yann Algan (HEC Paris (École des Hautes Ét...) Elizabeth Beasley (not in RePEc) Sylvana Côté (not in RePEc) Jungwee Park (not in RePEc) Richard E. Tremblay (not in RePEc) Frank Vitaro (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

1.341 = (α=2.01 / 6 authors) × 4.0x S-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

A childhood intervention to improve the social skills and self-control of at-risk kindergarten boys in the 1980s had positive impacts over the life course: higher trust and self-control as adolescents; increased social group membership, education, and reduced criminality as young adults; and increased marriage and employment as adults. Using administrative data, we find this intervention increased average yearly employment income by about 20 percent and decreased average yearly social transfers by almost 40 percent. We estimate that $1 invested in this program around age 8 yields about $11 in benefits by age 39, with an internal rate of return of around 17 percent.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:aea:aecrev:v:112:y:2022:i:8:p:2553-79
Journal Field
General
Author Count
6
Added to Database
2026-01-24