Cash Transfers, Behavioral Changes, and Cognitive Development in Early Childhood : Evidence from a Randomized Experiment
A variety of theories of skill formation suggest that investments in schooling and other dimensions of human capital will have lower returns if children do not have adequate levels of cognitive and social skills at an early age. This paper analyzes...
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| Format: | Policy Research Working Paper |
| Language: | English |
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World Bank, Washington, DC
2012
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2008/10/9971523/cash-transfers-behavioral-changes-cognitive-development-early-childhood-evidence-randomized-experiment http://hdl.handle.net/10986/6926 |
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okr-10986-69262021-04-23T14:02:32Z Cash Transfers, Behavioral Changes, and Cognitive Development in Early Childhood : Evidence from a Randomized Experiment Macours, Karen Schady, Norbert Vakis, Renos ACCESS TO PRESCHOOL ACCOUNT ACHIEVEMENT AGE GROUPS AGE TRENDS AGED ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENT AVAILABILITY OF BOOKS BASIC TRAINING BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS BREASTFEEDING CAREGIVERS CHILD CARE CHILD DEVELOPMENT CHILD DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS CHILD HEALTH CHILD LABOR CHILD MALNUTRITION CHILD NUTRITION COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT COGNITIVE OUTCOMES CONTROL GROUPS DEPRESSION DEVELOPMENTAL POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENTAL SCREENING DIETS DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN EARLY CHILDHOOD EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION EARLY INTERVENTION EARLY STIMULATION EDUCATION PROGRAMS ENROLLMENT EPIDEMIOLOGY FAMILIES GENDER GENDER DIFFERENCES GIRLS HEALTH CARE HEALTH OUTCOMES HUMAN DEVELOPMENT HYGIENE INFANCY INFANTS INFERENCE INTERVENTION INTERVENTIONS IRON LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT LANGUAGE SKILLS LIVING STANDARDS MEMORY MENTAL MENTAL HEALTH MIGRATION MOTOR SKILLS NUTRITION NUTRITIONAL STATUS OLDER CHILDREN ONLY CHILDREN PARENTAL EDUCATION PARENTING PEDIATRICS POPULATION STUDIES POSTNATAL DEPRESSION PRESCHOOL CHILDREN PRESCHOOLERS PREVENTIVE HEALTH CARE PRIMARY EDUCATION PRIMARY HEALTH CARE PRIMARY SCHOOL PRIMARY SCHOOL PERFORMANCE PSYCHOLOGY PUBLIC HEALTH READING RECALL RECOGNITION RISK FACTORS RURAL AREAS SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN SCHOOLING SKILL TRAINING SOCIAL MARKETING SOCIAL PROTECTION SOCIAL SKILLS VACCINATION VERY YOUNG CHILDREN VITAMINS VOCATIONAL TRAINING WAGES YOUNG CHILDREN YOUNGER CHILDREN A variety of theories of skill formation suggest that investments in schooling and other dimensions of human capital will have lower returns if children do not have adequate levels of cognitive and social skills at an early age. This paper analyzes the impact of a randomized cash transfer program on cognitive development in early childhood in rural Nicaragua. It shows that the program had significant effects on cognitive outcomes, especially language. Impacts are larger for older pre-school age children, who are also more likely to be delayed. The program increased intake of nutrient-rich foods, early stimulation, and use of preventive health care-all of which have been identified as risk factors for development in early childhood. Households increased expenditures on these inputs more than can be accounted for by the increases in cash income only, suggesting that the program changed parents' behavior. The findings suggest that gains in early childhood development outcomes should be taken into account when assessing the benefits of cash transfer programs in developing countries. More broadly, the paper illustrates that gains in early childhood development can result from interventions that facilitate investments made by parents to reduce risk factors for cognitive development. 2012-06-01T20:15:27Z 2012-06-01T20:15:27Z 2008-10 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2008/10/9971523/cash-transfers-behavioral-changes-cognitive-development-early-childhood-evidence-randomized-experiment http://hdl.handle.net/10986/6926 English Policy Research Working Paper; No. 4759 CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/ World Bank World Bank, Washington, DC Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper Publications & Research |
| repository_type |
Digital Repository |
| institution_category |
Foreign Institution |
| institution |
Digital Repositories |
| building |
World Bank Open Knowledge Repository |
| collection |
World Bank |
| language |
English |
| topic |
ACCESS TO PRESCHOOL ACCOUNT ACHIEVEMENT AGE GROUPS AGE TRENDS AGED ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENT AVAILABILITY OF BOOKS BASIC TRAINING BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS BREASTFEEDING CAREGIVERS CHILD CARE CHILD DEVELOPMENT CHILD DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS CHILD HEALTH CHILD LABOR CHILD MALNUTRITION CHILD NUTRITION COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT COGNITIVE OUTCOMES CONTROL GROUPS DEPRESSION DEVELOPMENTAL POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENTAL SCREENING DIETS DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN EARLY CHILDHOOD EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION EARLY INTERVENTION EARLY STIMULATION EDUCATION PROGRAMS ENROLLMENT EPIDEMIOLOGY FAMILIES GENDER GENDER DIFFERENCES GIRLS HEALTH CARE HEALTH OUTCOMES HUMAN DEVELOPMENT HYGIENE INFANCY INFANTS INFERENCE INTERVENTION INTERVENTIONS IRON LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT LANGUAGE SKILLS LIVING STANDARDS MEMORY MENTAL MENTAL HEALTH MIGRATION MOTOR SKILLS NUTRITION NUTRITIONAL STATUS OLDER CHILDREN ONLY CHILDREN PARENTAL EDUCATION PARENTING PEDIATRICS POPULATION STUDIES POSTNATAL DEPRESSION PRESCHOOL CHILDREN PRESCHOOLERS PREVENTIVE HEALTH CARE PRIMARY EDUCATION PRIMARY HEALTH CARE PRIMARY SCHOOL PRIMARY SCHOOL PERFORMANCE PSYCHOLOGY PUBLIC HEALTH READING RECALL RECOGNITION RISK FACTORS RURAL AREAS SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN SCHOOLING SKILL TRAINING SOCIAL MARKETING SOCIAL PROTECTION SOCIAL SKILLS VACCINATION VERY YOUNG CHILDREN VITAMINS VOCATIONAL TRAINING WAGES YOUNG CHILDREN YOUNGER CHILDREN |
| spellingShingle |
ACCESS TO PRESCHOOL ACCOUNT ACHIEVEMENT AGE GROUPS AGE TRENDS AGED ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENT AVAILABILITY OF BOOKS BASIC TRAINING BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS BREASTFEEDING CAREGIVERS CHILD CARE CHILD DEVELOPMENT CHILD DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS CHILD HEALTH CHILD LABOR CHILD MALNUTRITION CHILD NUTRITION COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT COGNITIVE OUTCOMES CONTROL GROUPS DEPRESSION DEVELOPMENTAL POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENTAL SCREENING DIETS DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN EARLY CHILDHOOD EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION EARLY INTERVENTION EARLY STIMULATION EDUCATION PROGRAMS ENROLLMENT EPIDEMIOLOGY FAMILIES GENDER GENDER DIFFERENCES GIRLS HEALTH CARE HEALTH OUTCOMES HUMAN DEVELOPMENT HYGIENE INFANCY INFANTS INFERENCE INTERVENTION INTERVENTIONS IRON LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT LANGUAGE SKILLS LIVING STANDARDS MEMORY MENTAL MENTAL HEALTH MIGRATION MOTOR SKILLS NUTRITION NUTRITIONAL STATUS OLDER CHILDREN ONLY CHILDREN PARENTAL EDUCATION PARENTING PEDIATRICS POPULATION STUDIES POSTNATAL DEPRESSION PRESCHOOL CHILDREN PRESCHOOLERS PREVENTIVE HEALTH CARE PRIMARY EDUCATION PRIMARY HEALTH CARE PRIMARY SCHOOL PRIMARY SCHOOL PERFORMANCE PSYCHOLOGY PUBLIC HEALTH READING RECALL RECOGNITION RISK FACTORS RURAL AREAS SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN SCHOOLING SKILL TRAINING SOCIAL MARKETING SOCIAL PROTECTION SOCIAL SKILLS VACCINATION VERY YOUNG CHILDREN VITAMINS VOCATIONAL TRAINING WAGES YOUNG CHILDREN YOUNGER CHILDREN Macours, Karen Schady, Norbert Vakis, Renos Cash Transfers, Behavioral Changes, and Cognitive Development in Early Childhood : Evidence from a Randomized Experiment |
| relation |
Policy Research Working Paper; No. 4759 |
| description |
A variety of theories of skill formation
suggest that investments in schooling and other dimensions
of human capital will have lower returns if children do not
have adequate levels of cognitive and social skills at an
early age. This paper analyzes the impact of a randomized
cash transfer program on cognitive development in early
childhood in rural Nicaragua. It shows that the program had
significant effects on cognitive outcomes, especially
language. Impacts are larger for older pre-school age
children, who are also more likely to be delayed. The
program increased intake of nutrient-rich foods, early
stimulation, and use of preventive health care-all of which
have been identified as risk factors for development in
early childhood. Households increased expenditures on these
inputs more than can be accounted for by the increases in
cash income only, suggesting that the program changed
parents' behavior. The findings suggest that gains in
early childhood development outcomes should be taken into
account when assessing the benefits of cash transfer
programs in developing countries. More broadly, the paper
illustrates that gains in early childhood development can
result from interventions that facilitate investments made
by parents to reduce risk factors for cognitive development. |
| format |
Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper |
| author |
Macours, Karen Schady, Norbert Vakis, Renos |
| author_facet |
Macours, Karen Schady, Norbert Vakis, Renos |
| author_sort |
Macours, Karen |
| title |
Cash Transfers, Behavioral Changes, and Cognitive Development in Early Childhood : Evidence from a Randomized Experiment |
| title_short |
Cash Transfers, Behavioral Changes, and Cognitive Development in Early Childhood : Evidence from a Randomized Experiment |
| title_full |
Cash Transfers, Behavioral Changes, and Cognitive Development in Early Childhood : Evidence from a Randomized Experiment |
| title_fullStr |
Cash Transfers, Behavioral Changes, and Cognitive Development in Early Childhood : Evidence from a Randomized Experiment |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Cash Transfers, Behavioral Changes, and Cognitive Development in Early Childhood : Evidence from a Randomized Experiment |
| title_sort |
cash transfers, behavioral changes, and cognitive development in early childhood : evidence from a randomized experiment |
| publisher |
World Bank, Washington, DC |
| publishDate |
2012 |
| url |
http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2008/10/9971523/cash-transfers-behavioral-changes-cognitive-development-early-childhood-evidence-randomized-experiment http://hdl.handle.net/10986/6926 |
| _version_ |
1764401331715440640 |