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Source: Department of Economics, Duke University
Resulting in 5 citations.
1. Braykov, Nikolay
Do Teenagers Exhibit Rational Expectations Regarding Mortality, Fertility and Education Outcomes?
Honors Thesis (B.A.), Department of Economics, Duke University, 2010
Cohort(s): NLSY97
Publisher: Department of Economics, Duke University
Keyword(s): Bayesian; Educational Outcomes; Expectations/Intentions; Fertility; Undergraduate Research

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

Microeconomic models often use the Rational Expectation Hypothesis (REH) instead of including expectation data. This paper examines the validity of the REH using subjective probability questions about mortality, fertility and education outcomes from panel data. First, I ask whether expectations are accurate and homogenous at the individual level; I find substantial forecast biases that depend on the nature of the outcome and decrease with ability and elimination of focal responses. I then propose a Bayesian learning framework to explain biases and find evidence of partial learning, suggesting probabilities become more accurate over time. Finally, I find subjective probabilities have predictive power over and above objective estimates, suggesting they contain private information about anticipated events.
Bibliography Citation
Braykov, Nikolay. "Do Teenagers Exhibit Rational Expectations Regarding Mortality, Fertility and Education Outcomes?" Honors Thesis (B.A.), Department of Economics, Duke University, 2010.
2. Clark, Brian Christopher
Essays in the Economics of Education
Ph.D. Dissertation, Department of Economics, Duke University, 2016.
Also: https://dukespace.lib.duke.edu/dspace/handle/10161/12281
Cohort(s): NLSY79
Publisher: Department of Economics, Duke University
Keyword(s): Educational Attainment; Underemployment; Wages

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

This dissertation is comprised of three essays in the economics of education.

The second essay, "The Career Prospects of Overeducated Americans," explores the incidence and persistence of overeducation for workers in the United States, using the NLSY79.

Bibliography Citation
Clark, Brian Christopher. Essays in the Economics of Education. Ph.D. Dissertation, Department of Economics, Duke University, 2016..
3. Hamb, Kristin Danielle
The Significance of Higher Education on the Racial Gap in Marriage Rates
Honors Thesis (B.A.), Department of Economics, Duke University, 2009
Cohort(s): NLSY79
Publisher: Department of Economics, Duke University
Keyword(s): Age at First Marriage; Educational Attainment; Marriage; Modeling, Probit; Racial Differences; Undergraduate Research; Women

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

In this paper, I examine the effect higher education has on the age of marriage and how this differs between black and white women. Becker’s theory of positive assortative mating in marriage markets lead me to predict higher levels of education would decrease the probability of being married by 30 and 40 for black women more than white women. My probit regressions showed that, despite an initial delay in marriage, increased education had a positive effect on the probability of marriage for black women confirming that lesser educated black women are more at risk of falling into the racial marriage gap.
Bibliography Citation
Hamb, Kristin Danielle. "The Significance of Higher Education on the Racial Gap in Marriage Rates." Honors Thesis (B.A.), Department of Economics, Duke University, 2009.
4. LaFata, Stephen M.
Maternal Labor Decisions and the Effects on Adolescent Risky Behavior
Honors Thesis (B.A.), Department of Economics, Duke University, 2007
Cohort(s): Children of the NLSY79
Publisher: Department of Economics, Duke University
Keyword(s): Child Self-Administered Supplement (CSAS); Delinquency/Gang Activity; Endogeneity; Family Income; Maternal Employment; Parent Supervision/Monitoring; Risk-Taking; Undergraduate Research

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

This paper examines the effects of maternal employment on the decisions of adolescents to engage in risky behavior. I attempt to control for possible endogeneity of maternal employment by implementing instrumental variables. Ultimately, except for low SES families, maternal labor is found to have no statistically significant effects on adolescent risky behavior. Though low SES adolescents are found to benefit from a working mother, this may be a result of endogeneity; possible endogeneity controls through instrumental variables are ineffective, opening the door to future research with better endogeneity controls.
Bibliography Citation
LaFata, Stephen M. "Maternal Labor Decisions and the Effects on Adolescent Risky Behavior." Honors Thesis (B.A.), Department of Economics, Duke University, 2007.
5. Low, Ian
Capturing a College Education’s Impact on Industry Wages Across Time: An Analysis of Academic Factors that Affect Earnings
Undergraduate Honors Thesis, Department of Economics, Duke University, 2012
Cohort(s): NLSY97
Publisher: Department of Economics, Duke University
Keyword(s): College Education; College Major/Field of Study/Courses; Grade Point Average (GPA)/Grades; Industrial Classification; Wages

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

Studying how a college education can impact one’s wages has always been an area of interest amongst labor and education economists. While previous studies have stressed using single academic factors (i.e. college major choice, performance, or college prestige) to determine the effect on wages, there has not been a focus on predicting wages given industries and a combination of these academic factors across time. Therefore, the crux of my thesis seeks to provide a new model which incorporates college major choice, GPA, industry selection across time, college type (private or public), natural ability (standardized test scores), and several demographic variables in order to predict percent increase/decrease in wages. My results show that college major choice, academic performance, natural ability, and industry selection (together) do have a significant impact on earnings, and they are appropriate measures to predict post-graduation wages.
Bibliography Citation
Low, Ian. "Capturing a College Education’s Impact on Industry Wages Across Time: An Analysis of Academic Factors that Affect Earnings." Undergraduate Honors Thesis, Department of Economics, Duke University, 2012.