Estimating the production function for human capital: results from a randomized controlled trial in Colombia

Published on 22 January 2020

We examine the channels through which a randomized early childhood intervention in Colombia led to signiﬁcant gains in cognitive and socio-emotional skills among a sample of disavantaged children aged 12 to 24 months at baseline.

We examine the channels through which a randomized early childhood intervention in Colombia led to signiﬁcant gains in cognitive and socio-emotional skills among a sample of disavantaged children aged 12 to 24 months at baseline. We estimate the determinants of parents’ material and time investments in these children and evaluate the impact of the treatment on such investments. We then estimate the production functions for cognitive and socio-emotional skills. The effects of the program can be explained by increases in parental investments, emphasizing the importance of parenting interventions at an early age.

Authors

Orazio Attanasio

Orazio Attanasio

CPP Co-Director

Orazio is an International Research Fellow at the IFS, a Professor at Yale and a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research.

Emla Fitzsimons

Emla Fitzsimons

Research Fellow University College London

Emla Fitzsimons is a Professor of Economics at the University College London Institute of Education and a Research Fellow at the IFS.

Costas Meghir

Research Fellow Yale University

Costas is a Research Fellow of the IFS and a Professor of Economics at Yale University and a Visiting Professor at University College London.

Marta Rubio Codina

Marta Rubio Codina

Research Associate

Marta is a Research Associate, working at the Centre for Evaluation of Development Policies at IFS and at the Inter-American Development.

Sarah Cattan

Associate Director

Sarah is an Associate Director in the Education and Skills sector at the IFS, holding a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship.