Parental Guidance and Supervised Learning

Alessandro Lizzeri and Marciano Siniscalchi
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Marciano Siniscalchi: Northwestern University

The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2008, vol. 123, issue 3, pages 1161-1195

Abstract: We propose a simple theoretical model of supervised learning that is potentially useful to interpret a number of empirical phenomena relevant to the nature-nurture debate. The model captures a basic trade-off between sheltering the child from the consequences of his mistakes and allowing him to learn from experience. We characterize the optimal parenting policy and its comparative-statics properties. We then show that key features of the optimal policy can be useful to interpret provocative findings from behavioral genetics. (c) 2008 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology..

Date: 2008

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Related works:
Working Paper: Parental Guidance and Supervised Learning (2006)
Working Paper: Parental Guidance and Supervised Learning (2007)
Working Paper: Parental Guidance and Supervised Learning (2006)
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