In a unique multidisciplinary research effort,  CEHD is investigating the development of personality traits, executive function, and economic preferences and how these skills predict academic achievement and health outcomes.

CEHD Director James J. Heckman leads the project with co-principal investigators Stephanie M. Carlson of the University of Minnesota and Patrick. C Kyllonen of the Educational Testing Service.

Objective 1: Aligning Measurements of Psychological Factors and Economic Preferences to Predict Outcomes in Health and Wellbeing

Personality traits, executive function skills, and economic preferences that emerge in childhood impact children’s health and life outcomes, particularly through physical and psychological well-being, educational achievement, and workforce decisions.

Supported by the NIH, this study will:

• Collect and analyze data on traits, skills, and preferences that emerge in childhood.
• Examine how these attributes evolve and co-evolve during adolescence, exploring the relationships across elicited trait, skill, and preference measures.
• Determine the extent to which different measurement schemes capture common or distinct aspects of human differences and if these relationships vary across cultures, gender, ethnicity, and race.

Our study uses survey and administrative data from schools and self-reported health measures to inform best practices for school evaluations and assist teachers in designing student-tailored curricula.

Objective 2: Aligning Measurements of Psychological Factors and Economic Preferences to Predict STEM Careers and Interest in STEM

Research across several fields identifies relationships between personality traits, executive function skills, and enrollment and performance in STEM courses and careers. This study will address important unanswered questions in how these traits are accurately measured and their relationship to STEM outcomes.

Supported by the NSF, this study will:

• Identify the combination of noncognitive skills, traits, and preferences that predict performance in STEM courses from fourth grade through high school.
• Determine how these personal attributes predict the choice of college major and career.
• Analyze samples from the United States and China
• Provide a better understanding of age-specific windows of opportunity for interventions promoting STEM achievement and the pursuit of STEM majors.

Pinpointing the attributes associated with success in STEM fields will help teachers and school administrators personalize education, improve student outcomes, and better identify and counsel students with strong STEM potential.

Project Collaborators:

• briq Institute on Behavior & Inequality
• Institute of Child Development
• Institute for Economic and Social Research at Jinan University

An advisory panel of consultants will meet regularly to give feedback on the project’s design and progress. Members include:

• Anya Samek of University of California San Diego
• Jennifer Tackett, Northwestern University
• Oliver John, UC Berkeley
• Bertil Tungodden, Norwegian School of Economics – NHH
• Richard Robins, UC Davis