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The Technology of Skill Formation

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Author Info
James Heckman
Pedro Carneiro
Flavio Cunha

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Abstract

his paper presents formal models of child development that capture the essence of recent findings from the empirical literature on child development. The goal is to provide theoretical frameworks for interpreting the evidence from a vast empirical literature, for guiding the next generation of empirical studies and for formulating policy. We start from the premise that skill formation is a life-cycle process. It starts in the womb and goes on throughout most of the adult life. Families and firms have a role in this process that is at least as important as the role of schools. There are multiple skills and multiple abilities that are important for adult success. Abilities are both inherited and created, and the traditional debate of nature versus nurture is outdated and scientifically obsolete. The technology of skill formation has two additional important characteristics. The first one is that IQ and behavior are more plastic at early ages than at later ages. Furthermore, behavior is much more malleable than IQ as individuals age. The second is that human capital investments are complementary over time. Early investments increase the productivity of later investments. Early investments are not productive if they are not followed up by later investments. The returns to investing early in the life cycle are high. Remediation of inadequate early investments is difficult and very costly

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Paper provided by Society for Economic Dynamics in its series 2004 Meeting Papers with number 681.

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Date of creation: 2004
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Handle: RePEc:red:sed004:681

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Related research
Keywords: human capital life cycle of skill formation

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Aiyagari, S. Rao & Greenwood, Jeremy & Seshadri, Ananth, 2002. "Efficient Investment in Children," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 102(2), pages 290-321, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  2. Flavio Cunha & James J. Heckman & Lance Lochner & Dimitriy V. Masterov, 2005. "Interpreting the Evidence on Life Cycle Skill Formation," NBER Working Papers 11331, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  3. Stephen V. Cameron & James J. Heckman, 2001. "The Dynamics of Educational Attainment for Black, Hispanic, and White Males," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 109(3), pages 455-499, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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    Other versions:
  5. David Blau & Janet Currie, 2004. "Preschool, Day Care, and Afterschool Care: Who's Minding the Kids?," NBER Working Papers 10670, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  6. Currie, Janet & Thomas, Duncan, 1995. "Does Head Start Make a Difference?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 85(3), pages 341-64, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  7. Eric I. Knudsen & James J. Heckman & Judy L. Cameron & Jack P. Shonkoff, 2006. "Economic, Neurobiological and Behavioral Perspectives on Building America's Future Workforce," IZA Discussion Papers 2190, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
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  8. Samuel Bowles & Herbert Gintis & Melissa Osborne, 2001. "The Determinants of Earnings: A Behavioral Approach," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 39(4), pages 1137-1176, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  12. Stephen V. Cameron & Christopher Taber, 2004. "Estimation of Educational Borrowing Constraints Using Returns to Schooling," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 112(1), pages 132-182, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  14. James J. Heckman & Jora Stixrud & Sergio Urzua, 2006. "The Effects of Cognitive and Noncognitive Abilities on Labor Market Outcomes and Social Behavior," NBER Working Papers 12006, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  15. John M. Barron & Mark C. Berger & Dan A. Black, 2006. "Selective Counteroffers," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 24(3), pages 385-410, July. [Downloadable!]
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  18. Carneiro, Pedro & Heckman, James J., 2003. "Human Capital Policy," IZA Discussion Papers 821, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
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  19. Costas Megir & Martin Palme, 2001. "The effect of a social experiment in education," CEE Discussion Papers 0014, Centre for the Economics of Education, LSE. [Downloadable!]
  20. Costas Meghir & Mårten Palme, 2001. "The effect of a social experiment in education," IFS Working Papers W01/11, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
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  21. Hansen, Karsten T. & Heckman, James J. & Mullen, K.J.Kathleen J., 2004. "The effect of schooling and ability on achievement test scores," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 121(1-2), pages 39-98. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  22. Yoram Ben-Porath, 1967. "The Production of Human Capital and the Life Cycle of Earnings," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 75, pages 352. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  23. Bruce A. Weinberg, 2001. "An Incentive Model of the Effect of Parental Income on Children," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 109(2), pages 266-280, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Salm, Martin & Schunk, Daniel, 2008. "The Role of Childhood Health for the Intergenerational Transmission of Human Capital: Evidence from Administrative Data," IZA Discussion Papers 3646, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  2. Yannis M. Ioannides & Giulio Zanella, 2008. "Searching for the Best Neighborhood: Mobility and Social Interactions," Department of Economics University of Siena 533, Department of Economics, University of Siena. [Downloadable!]
  3. Djavad Salehi-Isfahani & Hania Kamel, 2006. "Demographic Swings and Early Childhood Education in Iran," Working Papers e06-2, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  4. Carneiro, Pedro & Heckman, James J. & Masterov, Dimitriy V., 2005. "Labor Market Discrimination and Racial Differences in Premarket Factors," IZA Discussion Papers 1453, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  5. Gianna Barbieri & Piero Cipollone & Paolo Sestito, 2008. "Labour market for teachers: Demographic characteristics and allocative mechanisms," Temi di discussione (Economic working papers) 672, Bank of Italy, Economic Research Department. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  6. Cheti Nicoletti & John Ermisch, 2008. "Intergenerational Earnings Mobility: Changes across Cohorts in Britain," Contributions to Economic Analysis & Policy, Berkeley Electronic Press, vol. 7(2), pages 1755-1755. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. James J. Heckman, 2008. "Schools, Skills, and Synapses," NBER Working Papers 14064, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  8. Blomeyer, Dorothea & Coneus, Katja & Laucht, Manfred & Pfeiffer, Friedhelm, 2008. "Initial Risk Matrix, Home Resources, Ability Development and Children's Achievement," IZA Discussion Papers 3692, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  9. James J. Heckman & Dimitriy V. Masterov, 2007. "The Productivity Argument for Investing in Young Children," NBER Working Papers 13016, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  10. James J. Heckman, 2007. "The Economics, Technology and Neuroscience of Human Capability Formation," IZA Discussion Papers 2875, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  11. Guido Heineck & Regina T. Riphahn, 2007. "Intergenerational Transmission of Educational Attainment in Germany: The Last Five Decades," IZA Discussion Papers 2985, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  12. Marianne Simonsen & Lars Skipper, 2008. "The Incidence and Intensity of Formal Lifelong Learning," Economics Working Papers 2008-07, School of Economics and Management, University of Aarhus. [Downloadable!]
  13. Elizabeth M. Caucutt & Lance Lochner, 2005. "Borrowing constraints on families with young children," Proceedings, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, pages 39-48. [Downloadable!]
  14. James Heckman & Flavio Cunha, 2008. "EconomicDynamics Interviews James Heckman and Flavio Cunha on Skill Formation and Returns to Schooling," EconomicDynamics Newsletter, Review of Economic Dynamics, vol. 9(2), April. [Downloadable!]
  15. Friedhelm Pfeiffer & Karsten Reuß, 2007. "Age-Dependent Skill Formation and Returns to Education: Simulation Based Evidence," IZA Discussion Papers 2882, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  16. Mayssun El-Attar, 2007. "Trust, Child Care Technology Choice and Female Labor Force Participation," IZA Discussion Papers 3135, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  17. Monique de Haan, 2008. "The Effect of Parents' Schooling on Child's Schooling: A Nonparametric Bounds Analysis," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 08-061/3, Tinbergen Institute. [Downloadable!]
  18. Coneus, Katja & Pfeiffer, Friedhelm, 2007. "Self-Productivity in Early Childhood," ZEW Discussion Papers 07-053 [rev.], ZEW - Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung / Center for European Economic Research. [Downloadable!]
  19. Pfeiffer, Friedhelm & Reuß, Karsten, 2007. "Age-dependent Skill Formation and Returns to Education," ZEW Discussion Papers 07-015, ZEW - Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung / Center for European Economic Research. [Downloadable!]
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