High-school genetic diversity and later-life student outcomes: micro-level evidence from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study

Justin Cook () and Jason Fletcher

Journal of Economic Growth, 2018, vol. 23, issue 3, No 2, 307-339

Abstract: Abstract A novel hypothesis posits that levels of genetic diversity in a population may partially explain variation in the development and success of countries. Our paper extends evidence on this question by subjecting the hypothesis to an alternative context that eliminates many competing hypotheses. We do this by aggregating representative individual-level data for high schools from a single US state (Wisconsin) in 1957, when the population was composed nearly entirely of individuals of European ancestry. Using this sample of high school aggregations, we too find a strong association between school-level genetic diversity and a range of student socioeconomic outcomes. Our use of survey data also allows for a greater exploration into the potential mechanisms of genetic diversity. In doing so, we find positive associations between genetic diversity and indexes for openness to experience and extraversion, two personality traits tied to creativity and divergent thinking.

Keywords: Genetic diversity; Years of schooling; Income; Personality; Survey data; J11; N30; O10; Z13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (16)

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Working Paper: High School Genetic Diversity and Later-life Student Outcomes: Micro-level Evidence from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (2017)
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DOI: 10.1007/s10887-018-9157-3

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