Is there a Hidden Technical Potential?

Hessel Oosterbeek and Dinand Webbink ()
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Dinand Webbink: Erasmus University Rotterdam

No 97-012/3, Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers from Tinbergen Institute

Abstract: This paper analyzes the determinants of choosing a technical study at university level and of persistence in it. We find that - in the Netherlands - there is a low correlation between the probability of a student choosing a technical study and the probability of persistence in it. This implies that a substantial number of technically talented people choose non-technicalstudies. Especially female students and students from high income families are unlikely to attend a technical study but these students are relatively successful in such studies. A large fraction of these technically talented students are attracted to medical studies and law schools, where they are no more likely to persist in these schools than other medical and lawstudents. This finding is predicted by the tournament model in which rewards are based on relative performance instead of absolute performance.

This discussion paper has resulted in a publication in De Economist 145(2), 159-77.

Keywords: allocation of talent; occupational choice; educational choice (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 1997-01-28
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:tin:wpaper:19970012

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