Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP18261
Authors: Flavia Coda Moscarola; Daniela Del Boca; Giovanna Paladino
Abstract: This paper examines the intergenerational transmission of preferences between parents and their children. Specifically, we analyse whether parents transmit patience, the propensity to save, reading habits, and conscientiousness to their children, and how specific parenting styles – i.e. indicators of their involvement in children’s education and their attitudes towards sharing financial information - play a role in such transmission. To study this link, we analyse the data from a representative survey of Italian households (parents with children 14-20 years of age) that we conducted in Italy in September 2022. Our results show a significant and positive relationship between parents’ and children’s preferences and that parenting styles act as moderators in the transmission of patience and conscientiousness between parents and children. A Sharing parenting style strengthens the transmission of patience mostly among children under the age of 18 and in households with an SES above the median, while a Present parenting style strengthens the transmission of conscientiousness mostly in households with an SES below the median. The strengthening effect of Present parenting style on reading habits is observed for mothers only.
Keywords: intergenerational transmission; patience; propensity to save; reading; conscientiousness; parenting style
JEL Codes: D14; I21; J24
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| parental preferences (J13) | children's preferences (J13) |
| patient parent (I19) | child being patient (J13) |
| sharing parenting style (J12) | child being patient (J13) |
| parental propensity to save (D14) | child propensity to save (D14) |
| parental reading habit (G53) | child reading habit (Y92) |
| parental conscientiousness (J13) | child conscientiousness (J13) |
| present parenting style (J13) | transmission of conscientiousness (F42) |
| parenting styles (J13) | transmission of preferences (D79) |