Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP14523
Authors: Giuseppe Sorrenti; Ulf Zlitz; Denis Ribeaud; Manuel Eisner
Abstract: We study the long-term effects of a randomized intervention targeting children’s socio-emotional skills. The classroom-based intervention for primary school children has positive impacts that persist for over a decade. Treated children become more likely to complete academic high school and enroll in university. Two mechanisms drive these results. Treated children show fewer ADHD symptoms: they are less impulsive and less disruptive. They also attain higher grades, but they do not score higher on standardized tests. The long-term effects on educational attainment thus appear to be driven by changes in socio-emotional skills rather than cognitive skills.
Keywords: socioemotional skills; randomized intervention; child development; school tracking
JEL Codes: C93; I21; I24; I26; J24
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| PATHS intervention (O22) | improved socioemotional skills (I24) |
| improved socioemotional skills (I24) | higher grades (I24) |
| higher grades (I24) | increased likelihood of academic tracking and completion (I24) |
| PATHS intervention (O22) | increased likelihood of academic tracking and completion (I24) |
| PATHS intervention (O22) | reduced ADHD symptoms and classroom disruptions (I24) |
| reduced ADHD symptoms and classroom disruptions (I24) | improved engagement (O36) |
| PATHS intervention (O22) | increased likelihood of attending university (I23) |