Mechanisms for the association between maternal employment and child cognitive development
By: John Cawley, Feng Liu
Contributors: Liu, Feng; National Bureau of Economic Research
Series: NBER working paper series -- working paper 13609; Working paper series (National Bureau of Economic Research : Online) -- working paper no. 13609.
Publisher: National Bureau of Economic Research
Published: 2007
Place of publication: Cambridge, MA
Language: eng
Format: [electronic resource] /
Description: "Recent research has found that maternal employment is associated with worse child performance on tests of cognitive ability.  This paper explores mechanisms for that correlation.  We estimate models of instrumental variables using a unique dataset, the American Time Use Survey, that measure the effect of maternal employment on the mother's allocation of time to activities related to child cognitive development.  We find that employed women spend significantly less time reading to their children, helping with homework, and in educational activities in general.  We find no evidence that these decreases in time are offset by increases in time by husbands and partners.  These findings offer plausible mechanisms for the association of maternal employment with child cognitive development"--National Bureau of Economic Research web site.
Notes: Title from PDF file as viewed on 12/5/2007.

Includes bibliographical references.

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Mode of access: World Wide Web.