The Determinants of Population Self-Control

Arbeitspapier

This paper demonstrates that structural factors can shape people's self-control. We study the determinants of adult self-control using population-representative data and exploiting two sources of quasi-experimental variation-Germany's division and compulsory schooling reforms. We find that former East Germans have substantially higher levels of self-control than West Germans and provide evidence for suppression as a possible underlying mechanism. An increase in compulsory schooling had no causal effect on self-control. Moreover, we find that self-control increases linearly with age. In contrast to previous findings for children, there is no gender gap in adult self-control and family background does not predict self-control.

Angaben zum Objekt

• Sprache: Englisch

Verweise und Beziehungen

• Erschienen in: Series: IZA Discussion Papers ; No. 15175

Klassifikation und Themen

• Klassifikation: Wirtschaft ; Micro-Based Behavioral Economics: General‡ ; Single Equation Models: Single Variables: Instrumental Variables (IV) Estimation
• Thema: population-representative evidence ; Brief Self-Control Scale ; determinants of self-control ; German division ; quasi-experiments ; compulsory schooling reforms

Beteiligte, Orts- und Zeitangaben

• Ereignis: Geistige Schöpfung
• (wer): Cobb-Clark, Deborah A. ; Dahmann, Sarah C. ; Kamhöfer, Daniel A. ; Schildberg-Hörisch, Hannah
• Ereignis: Veröffentlichung
• (wer): Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
• (wo): Bonn
• (wann): 2022

Weitere Informationen

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/263391
• Letzte Aktualisierung: 10.03.2025, 11:42 MEZ