Parental guidance and supervised learning

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Lizzeri, Alessandro; Siniscalchi, Marciano
• 署名单位: New York University; Northwestern University
• 刊物名称: QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0033-5533
• DOI: 10.1162/qjec.2008.123.3.1161
• 发表日期: 2008
• 页码: 1161-1195
• 关键词: national longitudinal survey; maternal employment; cultural transmission; CHILDREN; environment; income; MODEL

摘要

We propose a simple theoretical model of supervised learning that is potentially useful to interpret a number of empirical phenomena relevant to the nature-nurture debate. The model captures a basic trade-off between sheltering the child from the consequences of his mistakes and allowing him to learn from experience. We characterize the optimal parenting policy and its comparative-statics properties. We then show that key features of the optimal policy can be useful to interpret provocative findings from behavioral genetics.