Leibniz Network "Non-Cognitive Skills: Acquisition and Economic Consequences"
The international research network "Non-Cognitive
Skills - Acquisition and Economic Consequences" was supported for three
years (2008-2010) by the Leibniz Association as a part of the "Pakt für
Forschung und Innovation 2008".The network was
coordinated by the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) Mannheim and
represented a combination of economic and psychological expertise from leading
European research institutions (Centre for the Economics of Education (CEE) at
the London School of Economics (LSE); German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP) at
the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), Berlin; Central Institute of
Mental Health (ZI), Mannheim; Chair of Social Psychology and Motivation and the
Center for Quantitative Methods and Survey Research (CMS) at the University of
Konstanz), the research group of James Heckman from the Economic Research
Center (ERC) at the University of Chicago and the Baden-Württemberg employer's
association Südwestmetall including its educational institutions. The network
used methods related to several disciplines from the social sciences -
including the economics of education, labor economics, motivational psychology,
motivational neurosciences and econometrics - in order to enhance our
understanding of human capital formation in the modern, science-based economy.
In particular, the network focussed
on non-cognitive skills such as motivation, persistence, self-efficacy and
self-regulation. Optimal investments in these skills have not been sufficiently
explored by economists and economic investment aspects have often been ignored
in psychological research approaches. To remedy these lacks, all institutions
of the Leibniz Network worked with theoretically sound empirical models and
methods (representative panels, representative field studies and laboratory
experiments, econometric procedures, simulations).
The insights following this research
approaches were discussed in four network conferences. The first conference,
with 90 participants, took place at the ZEW in Mannheim, May 15-17, 2008 (keynote
speakers: Prof. Dr. James Heckman, Prof. Dr. Peter Gollwitzer). The second
conference took place at Kloster Hegne in Konstanz, March 19-21, 2009 (keynote
speakers: Prof. Dr. Thomas Dohmen, Prof. Dr. Anja Achtziger). It was organized
together with the chair of social psycholgy and motivation from the University
of Konstanz. The third conference took place at the DIW Berlin, October 22-24,
2009 (keynote speakers: Prof. Dr. Jens Asendorpf, Prof. Dr. Ernst Fehr) and was
organized together with the SOEP group (Prof. Dr. Jürgen Schupp, Prof. Dr. Christa
Katharina Spieß, Prof. Dr. Gerd Wagner). The final conference took place at the
Center for the Economics of Education at the LSE in London, October 21-23, 2010
(keynote speakers: Prof. Dr. Andrew Oswald, Prof. Dr. Stephen Scott). It was
organized together with the CEE (Dr. Emma Tominey, Prof. Dr. Stephen Machin).
In a new cooperation the ZEW
investigated together with the Institute for Empirical Research in Economics at
the University of Zurich (Prof. Dr. Ernst Fehr) and the SOEP group for the
first time the determinants of impatience of children and their mothers within
the household environment. The network examined the priorities of education
policy, since achievement schools and the labour market depends on the early
life environment.
Moreover, we integrated and supported young
researchers within the research project, which led to considerable results: First
of all, four doctoral dissertations had already been submitted successfully (Dr.
Katja Coneus, ZEW; Dr. Johannes Gernandt, ZEW; Dr. Eva Berger, SOEP; Dr. Emma
Tominey, CEE; Dr. Dorothea Blomeyer, ZI). In addition, four other theses at ZEW
had taken the project as a starting point (Philipp Eisenhauer, ZEW; Dr. Andrea
Mühlenweg, ZEW; Verena Niepel, ZEW; Karsten Reuß, ZEW; Pia Dovern-Pinger, ZEW
and University of Mannheim). There was also a significant exchange of young
researchers within the network: Among others, ZEW associates visited the
IFN in Stockholm (Verena Niebel), the University of Chicago (Pia
Dovern-Pinger and Philipp Eisenhauer) and the SOEP in Berlin (Katja Coneus). At
the same time, external researchers joined the ZEW such as Karin Edmark from IFAU in Uppsala (Sweden), Ruben Seiberlich from the University of Konstanz as well
as Marianella Gonzalez and Daniel Erdsiek from the University of Mannheim.
Part of the research results have already been published
in peer-reviewed journals including among others: American Economic Review;
Clinical and Experimental Research; Economics and Human Biology; Economics
Letters; Education Economics; Labour Economics; Journal of the European
Economic Association; Journal of Human Ressources; Journal of Psychiatric
Research, Personality and Individual Differences; Social Psychology; Schmollers
Jahrbuch - Journal of Applied Social Science Studies.
The complete list of research findings are
summarized in three network letters including detailed information on distinct
activities, structured by Institutions, People; Talks, Discussions; Papers,
Publications; Mobility, Qualifications; New Projects, Conferences and Workshops.
Further information regarding the network activities are available via the newsletter
Duration: 01.01.2008 - 31.12.2010
- PD Dr. Friedhelm Pfeiffer, ZEW (Coordinator)
- Dr. Ute Bayer, Chair of Social Psychology and Motivation, Universität Konstanz
- Dorothea Blomeyer, Zentralinstitut für seelische Gesundheit
- Dr. Katja Coneus, ZEW
- Philipp Eisenhauer, ZEW
- Dr. Johannes Gernandt, ZEW
- Fabian Kosse, Bonn Graduate School of Economics (BGSE), Universität Bonn
- Dr. Andrea Mühlenweg, ZEW
- Dr. Verena Niepel, ZEW
- Pia Pinger, ZEW
- Dr. Karsten Reuß, ZEW
- Emma Tominey, Centre for the Economics of Education (CEE), London School of Economics and Political Science
- Gerhard Selzer, BBQ Berufliche Bildung, Stuttgart, DE
- Johannes Krumme, Bildungswerk der Baden-Württembergischen Wirtschaft, Stuttgart, DE
- PD Dr. Anja Achtziger, Chair of Social Psychology and Motivation, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, DE
- Prof. Dr. C. Katharina Spieß, German Socio-Economic Panel Study, German Institute for Economic Research, Berlin, DE
- Prof. Dr. Ernst Fehr, Institute for Empirical resaerch in Economics at the University of Zürich, Zürich, CH
- Prof. Dr. Gert G. Wagner, German Socio-Economic Panel Study, German Institute for Economic Research, Berlin, DE
- Prof. Dr. Jürgen Schupp, Sozio-oekonomisches Panel (SOEP), Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Berlin, DE
- Prof. Dr. Manfred Laucht, Zentralinstitut für Seelische Gesundheit (ZI), Klinik für Psychatrie und Psychotherapie des Kindes- und Jugendalters, Mannheim, DE
- Prof. Dr. Winfried Pohlmeier, Center for Quantitative Methods and Survey Research (CMS), University of Konstanz, Konstanz, DE
- Prof. James J. Heckman, Ph.D., Economic Research Center (ERC), University of Chicago, Chicago, US
- Prof. Joan Blanden, Ph.D., Centre for the Economics of Education (CEE), London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK
- Prof. Peter M. Gollwitzer, Ph.D., Chair of Social Psychology and Motivation, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, D, New York University, New York, US
- Prof. Steve Machin, Ph.D., Centre for the Economics of Education (CEE), London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK
21.10 - 23.10.2010
Fourth Conference on Non-Cognitive Skills: Acquisition and Economic Consequences
22.10 - 24.10.2009
Third Conference on Non-Cognitive Skills: Acquisition and Economic Consequences
19.03 - 21.03.2009
Second Conference on Non-Cognitive Skills: Acquisition and Economic Consequences
15.05 - 17.05.2008
Inaugural Conference on Noncognitive Skills: Acquisition and Economic Consequences
