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on Unemployment, Inequality and Poverty |
| By: | Caroline Gaudreau; Dani Levine; John A. List; Dana Suskind |
| Abstract: | Research shows responsive caregiving enhances children's brain development, with parental knowledge predicting positive behaviors and outcomes. However, knowledge varies widely across educational levels, highlighting the need for targeted interventions. Despite evidence that this knowledge can be improved, no comprehensive metric exists for efficient assessment. We introduce SPEAK (Survey of Parent/Provider Expectations and Knowledge), a computer-adaptive tool grounded in item-response theory that we created, to address this gap by measuring parental and educator knowledge across development domains with precision and speed. This paper details SPEAK's development, including domain construction, cognitive interviewing, expert review, psychometric calibration, and validity evidence. SPEAK offers a flexible, scalable solution for clinical, educational, research, and policy settings. By identifying knowledge gaps, it enables tailored interventions, supports professional development, and informs policy, ultimately improving parent-child interactions and child outcomes. Our tool bridges critical gaps in assessing child development knowledge, advancing research and cross-sector collaboration to promote early childhood development worldwide. |
| JEL: | C81 C90 C93 I12 I18 I21 J13 O15 |
| Date: | 2025–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:34349 |
| By: | Alvaro Forteza; Diego Tuzman |
| Abstract: | In this paper, we present estimations of the distribution and redistribution of per-period income that can be associated to social security using two approaches, one that follows the conventional practice of treating pensions as government transfers and an- other one that proposes to measure pension income as the return of pension wealth. Using data for Uruguay, we find that the former approach estimates less inequality in the presence of pensions and much larger decrease in inequality due to pensions than the latter. We show that the implicit assumption that individuals would not increase voluntary savings in the absence of pensions contributes to a strong apparent equalizing effect of pensions. As several scholars have warned, this assumption is not warranted. |
| Keywords: | Pensions, Distribution, Redistribution, Fiscal incidence, Fiscal policy |
| JEL: | D31 H55 I38 |
| Date: | 2024–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ude:wpaper:0924 |
| By: | Giorgia Menta; Pietro Biroli; Divya Mehta; Conchita D'Ambrosio; Deborah Cobb-Clark |
| Abstract: | Epigenetics is the study of how people's behavior and environments influence the way their genes are expressed, even though their DNA sequence is itself unchanged. By aggregating age-related epigenetic markers, epigenetic 'clocks' have become the leading tool for studying biological aging. We make an important contribution by developing a novel, integrated measure of epigenetic aging--the Multi EpiGenetic Age (MEGA) clock--which combines several existing epigenetic clocks to reduce measurement error and improve estimation efficiency. We use the MEGA clock in three empirical contexts to show that: i) accelerated epigenetic aging in adolescence is associated with worse educational, mental-health, and labor market outcomes in early adulthood; ii) exposure to child maltreatment before adolescence is associated with half a year higher epigenetic aging; and iii) that entering school one year later accelerates epigenetic aging by age seven, particularly among disadvantaged children. The MEGA clock is robust to alternative methods for constructing it, providing a flexible and interpretable approach for incorporating epigenetic data into a wide variety of settings. |
| Date: | 2025–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2509.14422 |
| By: | Baktash, Mehrzad B.; Heywood, John S.; Jirjahn, Uwe |
| Abstract: | Using German survey data, we show conflicting influences of performance pay on overall life satisfaction. The overall influence reflects a strong positive influence through domains of life satisfaction associated with the job (job satisfaction, individual earnings satisfaction and household earning satisfaction) and a strong negative influence through domains away from the job (health satisfaction, sleep satisfaction and family life satisfaction). This trade-off between work and home generalizes and helps explain many previous studies examining much more specific consequences of performance pay. Finally, controlling for the mediating role of the domains, the direct influence on life satisfaction is positive for women and insignificantly different from zero for men. |
| Keywords: | Performance Pay, Life Satisfaction, Well-Being, Satisfaction Domains, Gender |
| JEL: | D10 J22 J33 M52 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:glodps:1677 |
| By: | Liu, Kelly J.; Stutzer, Alois |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the relationship between zero-sum thinking, political views, and individual well-being in Switzerland. Zero-sum thinking refers to the belief that resources are finite, and that one person’s gain must come at the expense of another. Using survey data from over 11, 000 individuals, we document that this mindset seems to be widespread and cannot easily be traced to specific demographic groups in the population. It is rather prevalent across the political spectrum, but slightly more so towards the political left. Beyond their political orientation, individuals with a stronger zero-sum belief support capitalism less, believe less in the idea of trickle-down and meritocracy, and at the same time support the idea that inequality is too high in Switzerland, and that there should be more redistribution. Finally, we observe that these individuals report, on average, a lower level of life satisfaction, shedding light on the potential personal and social implications of this mindset. |
| Keywords: | Mindset, zero-sum, belief formation, political attitudes, life satisfaction |
| JEL: | D83 I31 P16 Z13 |
| Date: | 2025–05–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bsl:wpaper:2025/02 |