The Impact of Sustained Attention on Labor Market Outcomes: The Case of Ghana

41 Pages Posted: 6 Dec 2014 Last revised: 21 Mar 2023

See all articles by Chih Ming Tan

Chih Ming Tan

University of North Dakota - Nistler College of Business & Public Administration - Department of Economics & Finance

Dhanushka Thamarapani

California State University, Chico - Department of Economics

Date Written: January 26, 2017

Abstract

In this paper, we go beyond traditional measures of cognitive abilities (IQ) in explaining labor market and social outcomes in developing countries. We exploit a rich dataset from Ghana that provides information on demographics, labor market outcomes, and a direct measure of cognitive ability along with other test scores to construct a measure of sustained attention. Our work is therefore related to the broader literature in Psychology on the importance of executive function on individual behavior and outcomes. We find that, at least for the case of Ghana, after controlling for IQ and other covariates, higher levels of sustained attention are associated with higher educational attainment and a higher likelihood of being employed in a white collar job.

Keywords: Ghana, Executive Function, Cognitive and Noncognitive Abilities, Education, Occupational Choice

JEL Classification: I10, I15, J24, J30, O12, O55

Suggested Citation

Tan, Chih Ming and Thamarapani, Dhanushka, The Impact of Sustained Attention on Labor Market Outcomes: The Case of Ghana (January 26, 2017). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2534142 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2534142

Chih Ming Tan (Contact Author)

University of North Dakota - Nistler College of Business & Public Administration - Department of Economics & Finance ( email )

3125 University Ave, Stop 8369
Grand Forks, ND 58202-8369
United States

HOME PAGE: http://https://und.edu/directory/chihming.tan

Dhanushka Thamarapani

California State University, Chico - Department of Economics ( email )

400 West First Street
Chico, CA 95929
United States

HOME PAGE: http://dthamarapani.com

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