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Locus of Control and Its Intergenerational Implications for Early Childhood Skill Formation

Author

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  • Lekfuangfu, Warn N.

    (Universidad Carlos III de Madrid)

  • Cornaglia, Francesca

    (Queen Mary, University of London)

  • Powdthavee, Nattavudh

    (Nanyang Technological University, Singapore)

  • Warrinnier, Nele

    (CEP, London School of Economics)

Abstract

We propose a model in which parents have a subjective belief about the impact of their investment on the early skill formation of their children. This subjective belief is determined in part by locus of control (LOC), i.e., the extent to which individuals believe that their actions can influence future outcomes. Consistent with the theory, we show that maternal LOC measured at the 12th week of gestation strongly predicts early and late child cognitive and noncognitive outcomes. We also utilize the variation in maternal LOC to help improve the specification typically used in the estimation of skill production function parameters.

Suggested Citation

  • Lekfuangfu, Warn N. & Cornaglia, Francesca & Powdthavee, Nattavudh & Warrinnier, Nele, 2014. "Locus of Control and Its Intergenerational Implications for Early Childhood Skill Formation," IZA Discussion Papers 8487, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp8487
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    locus of control; parental investment; human capital accumulation; early skill formation; ALSPAC;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J01 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - Labor Economics: General
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being

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