Cited by 1,123Early Childhood Education and DevelopmentCognitive Abilities and TestingYouth Development and Social Support

Economic, neurobiological, and behavioral perspectives on building America's future workforce

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Knudsen, Eric I., Heckman, James J., Cameron, Judy L., Shonkoff, Jack P.·2006·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Abstract

A growing proportion of the U.S. workforce will have been raised in disadvantaged environments that are associated with relatively high proportions of individuals with diminished cognitive and social skills. A cross-disciplinary examination of research in economics, developmental psychology, and neurobiology reveals a striking convergence on a set of common principles that account for the potent effects of early environment on the capacity for human skill development. Central to these principles are the findings that early experiences have a uniquely powerful influence on the development of cognitive and social skills and on brain architecture and neurochemistry, that both skill development and brain maturation are hierarchical processes in which higher level functions depend on, and build on, lower level functions, and that the capacity for change in the foundations of human skill development and neural circuitry is highest earlier in life and decreases over time. These findings lead to the conclusion that the most efficient strategy for strengthening the future workforce, both economically and neurobiologically, and improving its quality of life is to invest in the environments of disadvantaged children during the early childhood years.

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Authors
Knudsen, E. I., Heckman, J. J., Cameron, J. L., & Shonkoff, J. P.
Affiliations
  • Stanford Medicine (US)
  • University of Chicago (US)
  • University of Pittsburgh (US)
  • Brandeis University (US)
Venue
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Published
2006-07-05
Volume
103
Issue
27
Pages
10155-10162
ISSN
  • 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
  • 1091-6490
OpenAlex
W3023070006
Cited by
1,123
References
79
Citations by year
2026: 30 · 2025: 36 · 2024: 52 · 2023: 56 · 2022: 54 · 2021: 46 · 2020: 68 · 2019: 61 · 2018: 62 · 2017: 55 · 2016: 61 · 2015: 61 · 2014: 84 · 2013: 92 · 2012: 84
FWCI
165.21
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
  • SSRN Electronic Journal (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • Econstor (Econstor) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
  • National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Education › Early Childhood Education and Development
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Abilities and Testing
  • Social Sciences › Safety Research › Youth Development and Social Support
Keywords
early childhood environment, disadvantaged children, cognitive development, social skills, brain maturation, neuroplasticity, workforce development, early childhood investment
MeSH terms
Adult, Age Factors, Animals, Behavior, Brain, Child, Cognition, Employment, Gene Expression Regulation, Humans, Neurobiology, Time Factors, United States

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