Premium
The impact of sustained attention on labor market outcomes: The case of Ghana
Author(s) -
Tan Chih Ming,
Thamarapani Dhanushka
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
review of development economics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.531
H-Index - 50
eISSN - 1467-9361
pISSN - 1363-6669
DOI - 10.1111/rode.12553
Subject(s) - construct (python library) , cognition , economics , test (biology) , educational attainment , work (physics) , exploit , demographics , demographic economics , psychology , economic growth , sociology , demography , mechanical engineering , paleontology , computer security , neuroscience , computer science , engineering , biology , programming language
Abstract In this paper, we go beyond traditional measures of cognitive abilities (IQ) in explaining labor market and social outcomes in developing countries. We exploit a rich dataset from Ghana that provides information on demographics, labor market outcomes, and a direct measure of cognitive ability along with other test scores to construct a measure of sustained attention. Our work is therefore related to the broader literature in psychology on the importance of executive function on individual behavior and outcomes. We find that, at least for the case of Ghana, after controlling for IQ and other covariates, higher levels of sustained attention are associated with higher educational attainment and a higher likelihood of being employed in a white‐collar job.