Socioemotional Development during Adolescence: Evidence from a Large Macro Shock

Ghazala Azmat, Katja Kaufmann and Yasemin Özdemir
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Yasemin Özdemir: University of Bayreuth

No 16187, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: We exploit a large quasi-exogenous shock to study the development of socioemotional skills during adolescence and the consequences for long-term behavior and labor market outlook. Using novel, longitudinal, microdata on cohorts of East German adolescents before and after a large macro shock (the German Reunification), we causally estimate the impact on socioemotional skills, finding substantial negative effects in the short run. These effects are substantially larger among those affected by the shock in their early adolescence (13-14 years old), relative to older adolescents (16-17 years old). Changes in socioemotional skills have a lasting (negative) impact on them as adults, especially among those affected early in their adolescence, in terms of their expressions of externalizing behavior (e.g., physical fighting) and behavioral control problems (i.e., substance abuse), as well as internalizing behavior (i.e., mental health) and in their (labor-market) optimism and expectations. This study highlights the permanent effects of uncertainty on socioemotional skills during formative years.

Keywords: socioemotional development; youths; behavior; health; education (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D91 I12 I31 J13 J16 J24 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 42 pages
Date: 2023-05
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-eur, nep-hea, nep-his, nep-lma and nep-mfd
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Related works:
Working Paper: Socioemotional Development during Adolescence: Evidence from a Large Macro Shock (2024)
Working Paper: Socioemotional Development During Adolescence: Evidence from a Large Macro Shock (2023)
Working Paper: Socioemotional Development During Adolescence: Evidence from a Large Macro Shock (2023)
Working Paper: Socioemotional Development During Adolescence: Evidence from a Large Macro Shock (2023)
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