Fostering Patience in the Classroom: Results from Randomized Educational Intervention

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Alan, Sule; Ertac, Seda
• 署名单位: University of Essex; Koc University
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF POLITICAL ECONOMY
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0022-3808
• DOI: 10.1086/699007
• 发表日期: 2018
• 页码: 1865-1911
• 关键词: higher discount rates; time-preferences; self-control; delayed rewards; cognitive-ability; CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR; MONETARY REWARDS; field experiment; eliciting risk; CHILDREN

摘要

We evaluate the impact of a randomized educational intervention on children's intertemporal choices. The intervention aims to improve the ability to imagine future selves and encourages forward-looking behavior using a structured curriculum delivered by children's own trained teachers. We find that treated students make more patient intertemporal decisions in incentivized experimental tasks. The results persist almost 3 years after the intervention, replicate well in a different sample, and are robust across different experimental elicitation methods. The effects also extend beyond experimental outcomes: we find that treated students are significantly less likely to receive a low behavior grade.