Title

Does Birth Weight Influence Grit or Can Grit Be Learned After Birth?

Author(s)

Leah Gillion Leah Gillion (Princeton University)

Abstract

In recent studies, scholars have come to view grit as an essential component for success. This field has gained attention because it crosses the social economic spectrum and it is considered to be a learned characteristic. In this paper, I investigate the link between birth endowments and grit and the role parental investment plays in the development of non-cognitive skills. Using data from the Fragile Families Study, I find mixed results. Birth weight is associated with grit, when measured by teachers, but there is little association when measured by parents and the child. Furthermore, parental investment is associated with grit when measured by parents and the child, but there is no association when measured by teachers. This paper suggests that grit is a behavior that can be learned through parental investment, but the returns to parental investment in elementary school are not realized in the academic environment.

Creation Date

2017

Section URL ID

Paper Number

WP17-21-FF

URL

https://fragilefamilies.princeton.edu/sites/fragilefamilies/files/wp17-21-ff.pdf

File Function

Jel

I12, J13

Keyword(s)

Suppress

false

Series

8