ZEW Discussion Papers
Self-Productivity and Complementarities in Human Development: Evidence from MARS
Blomeyer, Dorothea, Katja Coneus, Manfred Laucht and Friedhelm Pfeiffer (2008), Self-Productivity and Complementarities in Human Development: Evidence from MARS, ZEW Discussion Paper No. 08-067, Mannheim. Download
This paper investigates the role of self-productivity and home resources in capability
formation from infancy to adolescence. In addition, we study the complementarities
between basic cognitive, motor and noncognitive abilities and social as well as academic
achievement. Our data are taken from the Mannheim Study of Children at
Risk (MARS), an epidemiological cohort study following the long-term outcome of
early risk factors. Results indicate that initial risk conditions cumulate and that differences
in basic abilities increase during development. Self-productivity rises in the
developmental process and complementarities are evident. Noncognitive abilities
promote cognitive abilities and social achievement. There is remarkable stability in
the distribution of the economic and socio-emotional home resources during the
early life cycle. This is presumably a major reason for the evolution of inequality in
human development.
Keywords: Initial Conditions, Intelligence, Persistence, Home Resources, Social Competencies, School Achievement
