Does schooling have lasting effects on cognitive function? Evidence from compulsory schooling laws

Gorman, E. 2023. Does schooling have lasting effects on cognitive function? Evidence from compulsory schooling laws. Demography. 60 (4), pp. 1139-1161. https://doi.org/10.1215/00703370-10875853

TitleDoes schooling have lasting effects on cognitive function? Evidence from compulsory schooling laws
TypeJournal article
AuthorsGorman, E.
Abstract

This paper assesses whether additional schooling has lasting causal effects on cognitive function. Exploiting quasi-experimental variation from the 1972 raising of the school leaving age in England and Wales, I use a fuzzy regression-discontinuity design to show that remaining in school until age 16 years improves working memory by one-third to one-half of a standard deviation. Limited evidence was detected for causal effects on verbal fluency and numeric ability. These findings are robust to an array of sensitivity analyses.

Keywordscognition
health behaviors
ageing
education
occupation
JournalDemography
Journal citation60 (4), pp. 1139-1161
ISSN0070-3370
1533-7790
Year2023
PublisherDuke University Press
Publisher's version
License
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
File Access Level
Open (open metadata and files)
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1215/00703370-10875853
PubMed ID37470819
Web address (URL)https://read.dukeupress.edu/demography/article/doi/10.1215/00703370-10875853/380930/Does-Schooling-Have-Lasting-Effects-on-Cognitive
Publication dates
Published online20 Jul 2023

Related outputs

Causal Inference
Kameshwara, K. and Gorman, E. 2025. Forthcoming. Causal Inference. in: Thomas, M., Jules, T., Shields, R. and Schweisfurth, M. (ed.) The Bloomsbury Handbook of Method in Comparative and International Education Bloomsbury.

Ethnic differences in intergenerational housing mobility in England and Wales
Buscha, F., Gorman, E., Sturgis, P. and Zhang, M. 2023. Ethnic differences in intergenerational housing mobility in England and Wales. Journal of Social Policy. Advanced online publication. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0047279423000570

Education pathways to the labour market for 16-year-olds who struggle to achieve maths and English in General Certificate of Secondary Education
Gorman, E., Thomson, D., Urwin, P. and Zhang, M. 2023. Education pathways to the labour market for 16-year-olds who struggle to achieve maths and English in General Certificate of Secondary Education. ADRUK 2023 Conference. Swansea University. https://doi.org/10.23889/ijpds.v8i2.2306.

A national multiple baseline cohort study of mental health conditions in early adolescence and subsequent educational outcomes in New Zealand
Gorman, E., Bowden, N., Kokaua, J., McNeill, B. and Schluter, P.J. 2023. A national multiple baseline cohort study of mental health conditions in early adolescence and subsequent educational outcomes in New Zealand. Scientific Reports. 13 11025. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-38131-8

Selective schooling and social mobility in England
Buscha, F., Gorman, E. and Sturgis, P. 2023. Selective schooling and social mobility in England. Labour Economics. 81 102336. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.labeco.2023.102336

Selective Schooling and Returns to Education
Gorman, E. 2022. Selective Schooling and Returns to Education. in: Zimmermann, K.F. (ed.) Handbook of Labor, Human Resources and Population Economics Springer.

Spatial and social mobility in England and Wales: A sub‐national analysis of differences and trends over time
Buscha, F., Gorman, Emma and Sturgis, Patrick 2021. Spatial and social mobility in England and Wales: A sub‐national analysis of differences and trends over time. The British Journal of Sociology. 72 (5), pp. 1378-1393. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-4446.12885

Adolescent School Bullying Victimization and Later Life Outcomes
Gorman, E., Harmon, C., Mendolia, S., Staneva, A. and Walker, I. 2021. Adolescent School Bullying Victimization and Later Life Outcomes. Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics. 83 (4), pp. 1048-1076. https://doi.org/10.1111/obes.12432

Heterogeneous effects of missing out on a place at a preferred secondary school in England
Gorman, Emma and Walker, Ian 2021. Heterogeneous effects of missing out on a place at a preferred secondary school in England. Economics of Education Review. 81 102082. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econedurev.2021.102082

Correcting for non-participation bias in health surveys using record-linkage, synthetic observations and pattern mixture modelling
Gray, L., Gorman, E., White, I. R., Katikireddi, S. V., McCartney, G., Rutherford, L. and Leyland, A. H. 2020. Correcting for non-participation bias in health surveys using record-linkage, synthetic observations and pattern mixture modelling. Statistical Methods in Medical Research. 29 (4), pp. 1212-1226. https://doi.org/10.1177/0962280219854482

Assessing Factors that Affect the Labour Market Decisions of Young People aged 16 to 24: Research Informing LPC Review of Youth Rates
Bowyer, A., Cerqua, A., Di Pietro, G., Gorman, E. and Urwin, P. 2019. Assessing Factors that Affect the Labour Market Decisions of Young People aged 16 to 24: Research Informing LPC Review of Youth Rates. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/research-on-minimum-wage-youth-rates Low Pay Commission.

Validation of non-participation bias methodology based on record-linked Finnish register-based health survey data: a protocol paper
McMinn, M. A., Martikainen, P., Gorman, E., Rissanen, H., Härkänen, T., Tolonen, H., Leyland, A. H. and Gray, L. 2019. Validation of non-participation bias methodology based on record-linked Finnish register-based health survey data: a protocol paper. BMJ Open. 9 (4), p. e026187 e026187. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-026187

Adjustment for survey non‐representativeness using record‐linkage: refined estimates of alcohol consumption by deprivation in Scotland
Gorman, E., Leyland, A. H., McCartney, G., Katikireddi, S. V., Rutherford, L., Graham, L., Robinson, M. and Gray, L. 2017. Adjustment for survey non‐representativeness using record‐linkage: refined estimates of alcohol consumption by deprivation in Scotland. Addiction. 112 (7), pp. 1270-1280. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.13797

Assessing the Representativeness of Population-Sampled Health Surveys Through Linkage to Administrative Data on Alcohol-Related Outcomes
Gorman, E., Leyland, A. H., McCartney, G., White, I. R., Katikireddi, S. V., Rutherford, L., Graham, L. and Gray, L. 2014. Assessing the Representativeness of Population-Sampled Health Surveys Through Linkage to Administrative Data on Alcohol-Related Outcomes. American Journal of Epidemiology. 180 (9), pp. 941-948. https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwu207

Use of record-linkage to handle non-response and improve alcohol consumption estimates in health survey data: a study protocol
Gray, L., McCartney, G., White, I. R., Katikireddi, S. V., Rutherford, L., Gorman, E. and Leyland, A. H. 2013. Use of record-linkage to handle non-response and improve alcohol consumption estimates in health survey data: a study protocol . BMJ Open. 3 (3), p. BMJ Open 2013;3:e002647 e002647. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2013-002647

Permalink - https://westminsterresearch.westminster.ac.uk/item/w3685/does-schooling-have-lasting-effects-on-cognitive-function-evidence-from-compulsory-schooling-laws


Share this

Usage statistics

64 total views
34 total downloads
These values cover views and downloads from WestminsterResearch and are for the period from September 2nd 2018, when this repository was created.