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Does Parental Divorce Affect Adolescents' Cognitive Development? Evidence from Longitudinal Data

Author

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  • Sanz-de-Galdeano, Anna

    (Universidad de Alicante)

  • Vuri, Daniela

    (University of Rome Tor Vergata)

Abstract

In this paper we analyse data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 to investigate whether experiencing parental divorce during adolescence reduces measured cognitive ability. To account for the potential endogeneity of parental divorce we employ a difference-in-differences model that relies on observing teenagers' outcomes before and after divorce. We find that parental divorce does not negatively affect teenagers' cognitive development. Our results also suggest that cross-section estimates overstate the detrimental effect of parental divorce.

Suggested Citation

  • Sanz-de-Galdeano, Anna & Vuri, Daniela, 2004. "Does Parental Divorce Affect Adolescents' Cognitive Development? Evidence from Longitudinal Data," IZA Discussion Papers 1206, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp1206
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    Cited by:

    1. Salvatore Zecchini & Marco Ventura, 2009. "The impact of public guarantees on credit to SMEs," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 32(2), pages 191-206, February.
    2. González, Libertad & Viitanen, Tarja, 2008. "The Long Term Effects of Legalizing Divorce on Children," IZA Discussion Papers 3789, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Salvatore Zecchini & Marco Ventura, 2006. "Public Credit Guarantees and SME Finance," ISAE Working Papers 73, ISTAT - Italian National Institute of Statistics - (Rome, ITALY).
    4. Philippe Mahler & Rainer Winkelmann, 2004. "Secondary School Track Selection of Single-Parent Children � Evidence from the German Socio-Economic Panel," SOI - Working Papers 0415, Socioeconomic Institute - University of Zurich, revised Oct 2005.
    5. Anna Christina D'Addio, 2007. "Intergenerational Transmission of Disadvantage: Mobility or Immobility Across Generations?," OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers 52, OECD Publishing.
    6. Mahler, Philippe & Winkelmann, Rainer, 2004. "Single Motherhood and (Un)Equal Educational Opportunities: Evidence for Germany," IZA Discussion Papers 1391, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    7. Mark L. Hoekstra, 2007. "The Effects of Near and Actual Parental Divorce on Student Achievement and Misbehavior," Working Paper 305, Department of Economics, University of Pittsburgh, revised Jan 2009.
    8. Shirley H. Liu, 2007. "Is My Parents' Divorce to Blame for My Failure in Life? A joint Model of Child Educational Attainments and Parental Divorce," Working Papers 0610, University of Miami, Department of Economics.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    difference in differences; cognitive development; divorce;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure

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