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Author: Mayer, Susan E.
Resulting in 11 citations.
1. Duncan, Greg J.
Kalil, Ariel
Mayer, Susan E.
Tepper, Robin L.
Payne, Monique R.
The Apple Does Not Fall Far from the Tree
In: Unequal Chances: Family Background and Economic Success. S. Bowles, H. Gintis, and M. O. Groves eds. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2008: pp. 23-79
Cohort(s): Children of the NLSY79, NLSY79
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Keyword(s): Armed Forces Qualifications Test (AFQT); Behavior Problems Index (BPI); CESD (Depression Scale); Cognitive Ability; Depression (see also CESD); Deviance; Economic Well-Being; Genetics; Home Observation for Measurement of Environment (HOME); Intergenerational Patterns/Transmission; Parental Influences; Parenting Skills/Styles; Parents, Behavior; Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT- Math); Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT- Reading); Pearlin Mastery Scale; Risk-Taking; Role Models; Socioeconomic Status (SES); Well-Being

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

Bibliography Citation
Duncan, Greg J., Ariel Kalil, Susan E. Mayer, Robin L. Tepper and Monique R. Payne. "The Apple Does Not Fall Far from the Tree" In: Unequal Chances: Family Background and Economic Success. S. Bowles, H. Gintis, and M. O. Groves eds. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2008: pp. 23-79
2. Duncan, Greg J.
Kalil, Ariel
Mayer, Susan E.
Tepper, Robin L.
Payne, Monique R.
The Apple Does Not Fall Far from the Tree
Working Paper WP-02-17, Institute for Policy Research, Chicago IL, March 16, 2002.
Also: http://www.northwestern.edu/ipr/publications/papers/2002/WP-02-17.pdf
Cohort(s): Children of the NLSY79, NLSY79
Publisher: Institute for Policy Research - Northwestern University - (formerly Center for Urban Affairs and Policy Research)
Keyword(s): Armed Forces Qualifications Test (AFQT); Behavioral Problems; CESD (Depression Scale); Cognitive Ability; Depression (see also CESD); Economic Well-Being; Genetics; Home Observation for Measurement of Environment (HOME); Intergenerational Patterns/Transmission; Parental Influences; Parenting Skills/Styles; Parents, Behavior; Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT- Math); Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT- Reading); Pearlin Mastery Scale; Risk-Taking; Role Models; Socioeconomic Status (SES); Well-Being

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

We use data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY), the Children of the NLSY, and from a study in Prince George's County, Maryland, to assess the relationship between 17 characteristics of mothers measured during adolescence and the same characteristics of their children, also measured during adolescence. We find positive correlations between specific characteristics of parents and children. But we also find that few parental characteristics predict characteristics of children other than the same one that is measured in parents. Four mechanisms might explain such correlations — socioeconomic resources, parenting practices, genetic inheritance, and role modeling. These four mechanisms make varying predictions about which parental traits will be correlated with which child traits; whether the traits of fathers or mothers should be more important to sons or daughters; and to what extent parental socioeconomic characteristics, parenting behaviors, and children's identification with their parents account for the observed correlations. Our evidence provides little support for the SES and parenting explanations, but more substantial support that role modeling may account for some of the intergenerational correlations, and genetic factors may account for others.
Bibliography Citation
Duncan, Greg J., Ariel Kalil, Susan E. Mayer, Robin L. Tepper and Monique R. Payne. "The Apple Does Not Fall Far from the Tree." Working Paper WP-02-17, Institute for Policy Research, Chicago IL, March 16, 2002.
3. Mayer, Susan E.
Can't Buy Me Love
The Economist, 343, (June 1997): pg. 29
Cohort(s): NLSY79
Publisher: Economist Group Ltd., The
Keyword(s): Children, Poverty; Disadvantaged, Economically; Earnings; Economic Changes/Recession; Family Income; Parental Influences; Parenting Skills/Styles; Welfare

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth and the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, Susan Mayer of the University of Chicago developed a statistical model to predict what would happen to children's prospects if the income of a poor family was raised from $15,000 to $30,000 a year. Her analysis revealed that whereas doubling poor families' income would lift most children above the poverty line, it would have almost no effect on their test scores and only a slight effect on their social behavior. This might be explained by the fact that extra money is usually spent on things that have little to do with helping children succeed in school or life and by the fact that good parenting has a lot in common with being a good worker, therefore children with parents who possess the qualities of good workers tend to do well even if their parents do not earn a lot.
Bibliography Citation
Mayer, Susan E. "Can't Buy Me Love." The Economist, 343, (June 1997): pg. 29.
4. Mayer, Susan E.
How Much Does Additional Income Help Children?
Policy Briefing, Washington DC: U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee, July 11, 1997.
Also: http://www.jcpr.org/additional.html
Cohort(s): Children of the NLSY79, NLSY79
Publisher: U.S. Government Printing Office
Keyword(s): Adolescent Fertility; Behavioral Problems; Children, Well-Being; High School Dropouts; Income Dynamics/Shocks; Income Level; Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT- Math); Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT); Pregnancy, Adolescent

Research on the effect of income on children's life chances suggests that small changes in living standards might not hurt children much. Harm from a short term decline in living standards could eventually be offset if parental work eventually leads to higher wages, or if it sets a good example for the children. But little research suggests that either of these scenarios is likely for long-term welfare recipients.
Bibliography Citation
Mayer, Susan E. "How Much Does Additional Income Help Children?" Policy Briefing, Washington DC: U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee, July 11, 1997.
5. Mayer, Susan E.
Influence of Parental Income on Children's Outcomes
Report, Wellington, New Zealand, Knowledge Management Group, Ministry of Social Development, 2002.
Also: http://www.msd.govt.nz/publications/influence_parental_income/index.html
Cohort(s): Children of the NLSY79, NLSY79
Publisher: Ministry of Social Development (MSD)
Keyword(s): Adolescent Fertility; Armed Forces Qualifications Test (AFQT); Behavior Problems Index (BPI); Behavioral Problems; Birthweight; Child Health; Childbearing, Adolescent; Children, Well-Being; Cognitive Ability; Cognitive Development; Cross-national Analysis; Economic Well-Being; Educational Attainment; Family Income; Health, Mental/Psychological; Health/Health Status/SF-12 Scale; Home Observation for Measurement of Environment (HOME); Income Level; Labor Market Outcomes; NCDS - National Child Development Study (British); Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID); Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT- Math); Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT- Reading); Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT); Siblings; Welfare

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

A .pdf copy of this report is also available at: http://www.msp.govt.nz/publications/docs/raisingchildreninnz.pdf.
It is well established that parental income is positively associated with virtually every dimension of child well-being that social scientists measure. This report advances beyond simple analyses of the correlation between parental income and children's outcomes, by separating out the effect of parental income on children's outcomes, net of other influences such as family structure and parental education.

The report opens with an examination of theoretical perspectives that hypothesise why parental income might affect children's outcomes. It discusses a range of methodological issues that confront researchers in this field. It documents the findings of a range of research on the effect of parental income on six broad areas of child outcomes: cognitive test scores; socio-emotional functioning, mental health and behavioural problems; physical health; teenage childbearing; educational attainment; and future economic status. It considers whether the source of parental income matters for child outcomes, whether the effect of parental income might vary according to the age of the child, and whether the effect of parental income depends on the child's gender or race. The report concludes with a discussion of policy insights that might be gleaned from the research literature in this field.

Parental income is positively associated with all outcomes covered in the review. When family background variables are controlled, however, the estimated size of the effect of parental income reduces, and the residual effects are generally small to modest on most outcomes. The size of the effect of income differs across different outcomes: it appears to have its largest effect on cognitive test scores and educational attainment. For some outcomes, such as health, there is too little research to draw strong conclusions about the effect of income. The effect of income is larger when incomes are measured over a longer period - that is to say, extended durations on low income have stronger adverse effects on children than short periods on low income. There is some evidence that the effect of income is larger for low-income than for high-income children.

No general conclusions can be drawn about whether parental income is more important at different stages of childhood; however, there is some evidence to suggest that income is more important in early childhood for schooling outcomes. There is little evidence to suggest that income has differential effects on children of different gender or race. Welfare income is found to be negatively associated with a range of children's outcomes; however, this seems to be due not to welfare receipt per se but to parental characteristics that make some parents more prone to be on welfare than others. Finally, it is noted that most of the research has been done in the US and there is insufficient evidence to draw any conclusions about whether the effect of parental income varies across countries.

Although parental income generally has only a small to modest effect on any particular outcome, it contributes to many aspects of children's well-being. This means that income gains have the potential to make a significant cumulative difference to the lives of children.

Bibliography Citation
Mayer, Susan E. "Influence of Parental Income on Children's Outcomes." Report, Wellington, New Zealand, Knowledge Management Group, Ministry of Social Development, 2002.
6. Mayer, Susan E.
What Money Can't Buy: Family Income and Children's Life Chances
Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1997
Cohort(s): Children of the NLSY79
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Keyword(s): Aid for Families with Dependent Children (AFDC); Behavioral Problems; Children; Economic Well-Being; Educational Attainment; Family Size; Home Observation for Measurement of Environment (HOME); Household Composition; Income; Mobility, Social; Mothers, Education; Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID); Parental Influences; Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT- Math); Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT- Reading); Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT); Poverty; Social Environment; Test Scores/Test theory/IRT; Welfare; Well-Being

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

Assesses the effect of parental income on young children, teenagers, and young adults. Describes America's different policies in response to poverty over the last two hundred years. Compares outcomes for rich and poor children in terms of test scores; behavior problems; educational attainment; young men's wages and labor-market participation; and risks of becoming a teenage mother, a single mother, or high school dropout. Presents conventional estimates of the effect of income. Investigates the "true" effect of income by controlling for parental characteristics that influence the parents' income and the children's outcomes. Discusses income, material well-being, and children's success; the relationship between income, the psychological well-being of parents, and parenting practices; trends in parental income in comparison with trends in children's outcomes; and the outcomes of children who lived in states that paid high Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) benefits versus the outcomes of children who lived in states that paid low controlling for parental characteristics that influence the parents' income and the children's outcomes. Discusses income, material well-being, and children's success; the relationship between income, the psychological well-being of parents, and parenting practices; trends in parental income in comparison with trends in children's outcomes; and the outcomes of children who lived in states that paid high Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) benefits versus the outcomes of children who lived in states that paid low.
Bibliography Citation
Mayer, Susan E. What Money Can't Buy: Family Income and Children's Life Chances. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1997.
7. Mayer, Susan E.
Duncan, Greg J.
Kalil, Ariel
Tepper, Robin L.
Like Mother Like Daughter: Does SES Account for the Similarity between Mothers and Daughters?
Presented: Chicago, IL, Joint Center for Poverty Research, "Family Investments in Children's Potential", Research Conference, September 2002.
Also: http://www.jcpr.org/conferences/SRI_2002/mayer.pdf
Cohort(s): Children of the NLSY79, NLSY79
Publisher: Joint Center for Poverty Research
Keyword(s): Adolescent Behavior; CESD (Depression Scale); Child Self-Administered Supplement (CSAS); Depression (see also CESD); Intergenerational Patterns/Transmission; Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT- Math); Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT- Reading); Pearlin Mastery Scale; Self-Esteem; Shyness; Socioeconomic Status (SES)

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

[This paper assesses the importance of maternal income and education to daughters' adolescent characteristics that are associated with her own future economic success. The analysis looks beyond socio-economic status to account for the strong correlations between parents' and children's educational achievement, psychological and personality characteristics, attitudes, interests, and highrisk behaviors, such as smoking, early pregnancy, or antisocial behavior. Although their findings are preliminary, they suggest a lesser role for socioeconomic status than previously thought.

Specifically, the authors find that mothers' own characteristics, measured when she herself was an adolescent, can predict her future income and education, and the latter, in turn, predict her daughter's adolescent characteristics, which presumably predict the daughter's future income and education. These findings are important for research and policy on several levels. In short, the authors argue that the importance of socioeconomic status will be overstated if researchers omit a mother's own adolescent characteristics in their measurement models.

Bibliography Citation
Mayer, Susan E., Greg J. Duncan, Ariel Kalil and Robin L. Tepper. "Like Mother Like Daughter: Does SES Account for the Similarity between Mothers and Daughters?" Presented: Chicago, IL, Joint Center for Poverty Research, "Family Investments in Children's Potential", Research Conference, September 2002.
8. Mayer, Susan E.
Knutson, David
Does Age at Enrollment in First Grade Affect Children's Cognitive Test Scores?
JCPR Working Paper 23, Joint Center for Poverty Research, Northwestern University/University of Chicago, December 1997.
Also: http://www.jcpr.org/wpfiles/newchild.pdf
Cohort(s): Children of the NLSY79
Publisher: Joint Center for Poverty Research
Keyword(s): Behavior Problems Index (BPI); Behavioral Problems; Family Background and Culture; Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT- Math); Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT- Reading); Peers/Peer influence/Peer relations; School Entry/Readiness

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

We use data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth Mother-Child Files to estimate the effect of age at enrollment in first grade on eight to eleven year old children's cognitive test scores and behavior problems. We find that children who enroll in first grade at a young age score higher on cognitive tests and have fewer behavior problems than children of the same age who enroll at an older age. This is mainly because children who enroll earlier have had more schooling than their same-aged peers who enrolled later. We also find that among children with the same amount of schooling, those who enrolled at a younger age have higher verbal scores than those who enrolled at an older age. This is because they were exposed to schooling at a younger age. We assess the extent to which early gains in test scores attributable to enrolling at a younger age decline as children progress through school and the extent to which the benefit of early enrollment is due to family background characteristics.
Bibliography Citation
Mayer, Susan E. and David Knutson. "Does Age at Enrollment in First Grade Affect Children's Cognitive Test Scores?" JCPR Working Paper 23, Joint Center for Poverty Research, Northwestern University/University of Chicago, December 1997.
9. Mayer, Susan E.
Knutson, David
Does the Timing of School Affect How Much Children Learn?
In: Earning and Learning: How School Matters. S. E. Mayer and P. E. Peterson, eds. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution and Russell Sage Foundation, New York, 1999: pp. 79-102
Cohort(s): Children of the NLSY79
Publisher: Brookings Institution
Keyword(s): Behavior Problems Index (BPI); Behavioral Problems; Family Background and Culture; Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT- Math); Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT- Reading); Peers/Peer influence/Peer relations; School Entry/Readiness; Test Scores/Test theory/IRT

We use data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth Mother-Child Files to estimate the effect of age at enrollment in first grade on eight to eleven year old children's cognitive test scores and behavior problems. We find that children who enroll in first grade at a young age score higher on cognitive tests and have fewer behavior problems than children of the same age who enroll at an older age. This is mainly because children who enroll earlier have had more schooling than their same-aged peers who enrolled later. We also find that among children with the same amount of schooling, those who enrolled at a younger age have higher verbal scores than those who enrolled at an older age. This is because they were exposed to schooling at a younger age. We assess the extent to which early gains in test scores attributable to enrolling at a younger age decline as children progress through school and the extent to which the benefit of early enrollment is due to family background characteristics.
Bibliography Citation
Mayer, Susan E. and David Knutson. "Does the Timing of School Affect How Much Children Learn?" In: Earning and Learning: How School Matters. S. E. Mayer and P. E. Peterson, eds. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution and Russell Sage Foundation, New York, 1999: pp. 79-102
10. Waldfogel, Jane
Mayer, Susan E.
Gender Differences in the Low-Wage Labor Market
In: Finding Jobs: Work and Welfare Reform. D.E. Card and R.M. Blank, eds. New York, NY: Russell Sage Foundation, 2000
Cohort(s): NLSY79, Young Men, Young Women
Publisher: Russell Sage Foundation
Keyword(s): Current Population Survey (CPS) / CPS-Fertility Supplement; Educational Attainment; Family Size; Gender; Gender Differences; Human Capital; Job Tenure; Marital Status; Part-Time Work; Wage Effects; Wage Levels; Wages; Work Experience

...Thus, this chapter differs from previous research in that we estimate and decompose changes in the gender gap in pay for workers with different levels of education. Also in contrast to prior research, we include detailed controls for marital status and number of children, and we include both full-time and part-time workers. In common with prior research, we use both cross-sectional and panel data, so that we can take actual work experience and job tenure into account as well as the usual controls for education and other human capital and demographic variables that affect wages.
Bibliography Citation
Waldfogel, Jane and Susan E. Mayer. "Gender Differences in the Low-Wage Labor Market" In: Finding Jobs: Work and Welfare Reform. D.E. Card and R.M. Blank, eds. New York, NY: Russell Sage Foundation, 2000
11. Waldfogel, Jane
Mayer, Susan E.
Male-Female Differences in the Low-Wage Labor Market
JCPR Working Paper 70, Joint Center for Poverty Research, February 1999.
Also: http://ideas.repec.org/p/har/wpaper/9904.html
Cohort(s): NLSY79, Young Men, Young Women
Publisher: Joint Center for Poverty Research
Keyword(s): Economic Well-Being; Education; Fertility; Gender Differences; Wage Gap; Wages, Men; Wages, Women

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

This paper was also presented in Washington DC: JCPR Conference, Labor Market and Less-Skilled Workers, November 1998. In recent years, women have made considerable gains relative to men in the labor market. Most notably, the gender gap in hourly wages has narrowed substantially. In this paper we divide workers into three skill groups on the basis of education, and analyze how the hourly earnings of women in each group have progressed relative to those of comparably educated men, the reasons for those gains, and their implications for women's economic well-being.
Bibliography Citation
Waldfogel, Jane and Susan E. Mayer. "Male-Female Differences in the Low-Wage Labor Market." JCPR Working Paper 70, Joint Center for Poverty Research, February 1999.