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Cited by 415Early Childhood Education and DevelopmentSchool Choice and PerformancePoverty, Education, and Child Welfare

Understanding the Mechanisms through Which an Influential Early Childhood Program Boosted Adult Outcomes

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Heckman, James, Pinto, Rodrigo, Savelyev, Peter·2012·National Bureau of Economic Research
DOI 10.3386/w18581
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Abstract

A growing literature establishes that high quality early childhood interventions targeted toward disadvantaged children have substantial impacts on later life outcomes.Little is known about the mechanisms producing these impacts.This paper uses longitudinal data on cognitive and personality traits from an experimental evaluation of the influential Perry Preschool program to analyze the channels through which the program boosted both male and female participant outcomes.Experimentally induced changes in personality traits explain a sizable portion of adult treatment effects.

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  • In early-intervention studies, academic achievement effects were sustained into secondary grades even without sizable sustained intelligence effects, suggesting improvements in self-regulation as a potential mechanism.

    “effects on academic achievement were sustained into the secondary grades, even in the absence of sizable sustained effects on intelligence, which suggests improvements in self-regulation as a potential mechanism of effects (Heckman et al. 2012).”

    From School Readiness and Self-Regulation: A Developmental Psychobiological Approach (2015) · cites this paper as Heckman et al. 2012

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Authors
Heckman, J., Pinto, R., & Savelyev, P.
Affiliations
  • National Bureau of Economic Research (US)
  • University of Chicago (US)
  • William & Mary (US)
Corresponding author
Heckman, James
ORCID
Venue
National Bureau of Economic Research
Publisher
National Bureau of Economic Research
Published
2012-11
DOI
10.3386/w18581
OpenAlex
W3123346660
Cited by
415
References
6
Citations by year
2025: 44 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 26 · 2022: 44 · 2021: 30 · 2020: 28 · 2019: 22 · 2018: 17 · 2017: 21 · 2016: 38 · 2015: 31 · 2014: 24 · 2013: 23 · 2012: 23
Type
report
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • National Bureau of Economic Research (publishedVersion)
  • SSRN Electronic Journal (acceptedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • SSRN Electronic Journal (submittedVersion)
  • Econstor (Econstor) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • American Bar Foundation
  • J.B. and M.K. Pritzker Family Foundation
  • Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation
  • Institute for New Economic Thinking
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Education › Early Childhood Education and Development
  • Social Sciences › Education › School Choice and Performance
  • Social Sciences › Safety Research › Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare
Keywords
early childhood intervention, impact mechanism, adult outcomes, cognitive outcomes, personality traits, gender differences, disadvantaged children, treatment effects, early childhood education

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