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Gender Differences in Adolescents' Socioemotional Development and their Later Economic Consequences

Author

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  • Ghazala Azmat

    (ECON - Département d'économie (Sciences Po) - Sciences Po - Sciences Po - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CEP - LSE - Centre for Economic Performance - LSE - London School of Economics and Political Science, CEPR - Center for Economic Policy Research, CESifo - Center for Economic Studies - Ifo Institute - CESifo GmbH, IZA - Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit - Institute of Labor Economics)

  • Katja Maria Kaufmann

    (University of Bayreuth, CESifo - LMU - Ludwig Maximilian University [Munich] = Ludwig Maximilians Universität München, IZA - Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit - Institute of Labor Economics)

  • Yasemin Özdemir

    (University of Bayreuth)

Abstract

We exploit a large exogenous shock to study socioemotional development (SED) during adolescence and the consequences on relevant economic outcomes, focusing on gender differences. Using novel, longitudinal, microdata on cohorts of East German adolescents before and after a large macro shock (the German Reunification), we causally estimate the impact on SED, finding substantial negative effects in the short run. These effects are similar for male and female youth. In terms of how these changes in SED impact behavior, however, we find stark differences by gender, observing important changes in externalizing behavior and behavioral control problems among males only as opposed to changes in internalizing behavior among females only. Ultimately, the effects on longer-run outcomes (subjective health, wellbeing, education) are grave and similar for both genders.

Suggested Citation

  • Ghazala Azmat & Katja Maria Kaufmann & Yasemin Özdemir, 2022. "Gender Differences in Adolescents' Socioemotional Development and their Later Economic Consequences," SciencePo Working papers Main hal-03918118, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:spmain:hal-03918118
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://sciencespo.hal.science/hal-03918118
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Socioemotional development; Youths; Gender ecological behaviors; Behavior; Health; Education;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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