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Nature-nurture interplay in educational attainment

Author

Listed:
  • Dilnoza Muslimova
  • Hans van Kippersluis
  • Cornelius A. Rietveld
  • Stephanie von Hinke
  • S. Fleur W. Meddens

Abstract

This paper shows how nature (i.e., one's genetic endowments) and nurture (i.e., one's environment) interact in producing educational attainment. Genetic endowments are measured using a polygenic score for educational attainment, while we use birth order as an important environmental determinant of educational attainment. Since genetic endowments are randomly assigned within-families and orthogonal to one's birth order, our family fixed effects approach exploits exogenous variation in genetic endowments as well as environments. We find that those with higher genetic endowments benefit disproportionally more from being firstborn compared to those with lower genetic endowments.

Suggested Citation

  • Dilnoza Muslimova & Hans van Kippersluis & Cornelius A. Rietveld & Stephanie von Hinke & S. Fleur W. Meddens, 2020. "Nature-nurture interplay in educational attainment," Papers 2012.05021, arXiv.org, revised Jul 2023.
    • Handle: RePEc:arx:papers:2012.05021
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    6. Gary S. Becker & Nigel Tomes, 1994. "Human Capital and the Rise and Fall of Families," NBER Chapters, in: Human Capital: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis with Special Reference to Education, Third Edition, pages 257-298, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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    12. 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).
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    Cited by:

    1. Samuel Baker & Pietro Biroli & Hans van Kippersluis & Stephanie von Hinke, 2022. "Beyond Barker: Infant Mortality at Birth and Ischaemic Heart Disease in Older Age," Working Papers 2022-015, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.
    2. Paul Minard, 2022. "Molecular genetics and mid-career economic mobility," Papers 2209.00057, arXiv.org.
    3. Pietro Biroli & Titus Galama & Stephanie von Hinke & Hans van Kippersluis & Kevin Thom, 2022. "Economics and Econometrics of Gene-Environment Interplay," Bristol Economics Discussion Papers 22/759, School of Economics, University of Bristol, UK.
    4. Pereira, Rita & Biroli, Pietro & von hinke, stephanie & Van Kippersluis, Hans & Galama, Titus & Rietveld, Niels & Thom, Kevin, 2022. "Gene-Environment Interplay in the Social Sciences," OSF Preprints d96z3, Center for Open Science.
    5. von Hinke, Stephanie & Sørensen, Emil N., 2023. "The long-term effects of early-life pollution exposure: Evidence from the London smog," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).

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