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on Neuroeconomics |
| By: | Fuerst, John; Kirkegaard, Emil O. W. |
| Abstract: | We draw upon newly compiled subnational indicators from fifteen countries to revisit relationships between continental genetic ancestry, cognitive ability (CA), and socioeconomic outcomes (S) in the Americas. Across national and subnational analyses, West Eurasian ancestry, in contrast to Amerindian and African, correlates robustly and positively with CA and S. In models including country fixed effects a shift from 0% to 100% West Eurasian genetic ancestry corresponds to an estimated increase of approximately 1.0–1.3 in either CA or S in units of standard deviation. Models that include both country fixed effects and random slopes produce similar estimates. These associations remain stable when controlled for geoclimatic variables (e.g., annual temperature, precipitation, UV-radiation). Although the cross-sectional nature of the data precludes formal causal inference, the results are consistent with CA mediating roughly 50% of the association between West Eurasian ancestry and S. The findings provide additional support for the “deep roots” hypothesis that continental ancestry is systematically linked to regional variations in cognitive and socioeconomic outcomes across the Americas. |
| Date: | 2025–12–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:vgfrb_v1 |
| By: | Banks, J.; French, E.; McCauley, J. |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the nature of long-term care for older adults with cognitive impairments in England1. Long-term care (LTC), which in England is commonly referred to as adult social care, is care that supports daily activities of living for older and disabled individuals to enhance their quality of life. This includes care services ranging from nursing home stays to home-based assistance with tasks like washing, dressing, and eating. For older people with cognitive impairment, such as dementia for example, there may be additional specialized care and support that is necessary. This paper shows that the high care needs of older individuals is largely attributable to those with cognitive impairments: approximately half of the total care costs of the age 65+ population in England are attributable to the 8.5% of individuals with cognitive limitations. |
| Date: | 2025–07–31 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cam:camdae:2583 |
| By: | Garcia-Couto, Santiago |
| Abstract: | This paper constructs harmonized, multi-dimensional measures of occupational task intensities for the United States from 1980-2014 by reconciling the Dictionary of Occupational Titles and O*NET. The resulting indices allow task intensities to vary within occupations over time and are linked to Census and ACS microdata. I document a pronounced rise in the importance of cognitive tasks -"cognitive dominance"- driven by both increasing task intensity and higher associated wage gradients. This mechanism helps explain three major labor-market trends: wage polarization, the rising college wage premium, and the narrowing gender wage gap, with most task changes occurring within occupations. |
| Date: | 2025–12–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:bcyk6_v1 |
| By: | Parijat Maitra; Libertad González |
| Abstract: | We examine the impact of early elective birth timing on children's health and educational outcomes, focusing on cognitive development as measured by elementary school grades. We exploit a natural experiment in Spain: the abrupt termination of a generous child benefit at the end of 2010, which led to a sharp increase in elective deliveries during the final week of December. Children born during this spike had slightly shorter gestation periods and lower birth weights (within the normal range), and experienced a higher incidence of respiratory disorders during infancy. We find that the affected cohort of children had significantly lower academic performance at age seven (in second grade), suggesting large persistent effects on cognitive development. Our results provide causal evidence on the medium-term costs of early elective deliveries, and underscore the link between neonatal health and human capital. |
| Keywords: | birthweight, education, family benefits, health |
| JEL: | I2 I1 J13 |
| Date: | 2025–12 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bge:wpaper:1539 |
| By: | W Bentley MacLeod (Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, Yale University) |
| Abstract: | This paper outlines an economic model that provides a framework for organising the growing literature on the performance of physicians and judges. The primary task of these professionals is to make decisions based on the information provided by their clients. The paper discusses professional decisions in terms of what Kahneman (2011) calls fast and slow decisions, known as System 1 and System 2 in cognitive science. Slow decisions correspond to the economist's model of rational choice, while System 1 (fast) decisions are high-speed, intuitive choices guided by training and human capital. This distinction is used to provide a model of decision-making under uncertainty based on Bewley (2011)'s theory of Knightian uncertainty to show that human values are an essential input to optimal choice. This, in turn, provides conditions under which artificial intelligence (AI) tools can assist professional decision-making, while pointing to cases where such tools need to explicitly incorporate human values in order to make better decisions. |
| Date: | 2025–12–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cwl:cwldpp:2475 |