Skill formation and the trouble with child noncognitive skill measures

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Del Bono, Emilia; Kinsler, Josh; Pavan, Ronni
• 署名单位: University of Essex; University System of Georgia; University of Georgia; University of Rochester
• 刊物名称: QUANTITATIVE ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1759-7323
• DOI: 10.3982/QE2297
• 发表日期: 2026
• 关键词: mental-health; MATERNAL DEPRESSION; BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS; mothers; stress; association; INVESTMENT; distress; validity; outcomes

摘要

This paper develops a framework to address issues of contamination in parent-reported measures of child noncognitive skills. We estimate a dynamic model in which child and parental skills evolve jointly and leverage information provided by teachers and interviewers to deal with contamination of parent-reported measures. The model also allows us to examine the relative importance of mothers and fathers in the evolution of child skills. Our findings reveal that ignoring contamination significantly underestimates the role of maternal non-cognitive skills in the evolution of child noncognitive skills. Additionally, we find evidence of stronger feedback effects from child skills to mothers than fathers. Simulation exercises demonstrate how contamination can distort evaluations of early childhood policies, underscoring the importance of robust measurement approaches.