Replication data for: Testing for Racial Differences in the Mental Ability of Young Children

Principal Investigator(s): View help for Principal Investigator(s) Roland G., Jr. Fryer; Steven D. Levitt

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Project Citation:

Fryer, Roland G., Jr., and Levitt, Steven D. Replication data for: Testing for Racial Differences in the Mental Ability of Young Children. Nashville, TN: American Economic Association [publisher], 2013. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2019-10-11. https://doi.org/10.3886/E112609V1

Project Description

Summary: Using a new nationally representative dataset, we find minor differences in test outcomes between black and white infants that disappear with a limited set of controls. However, relative to whites, all other races lose substantial ground by age two. Combining our estimates with results in prior literature, we show that a simple model with assortative mating fits our data well, implying that differences in children's environments between racial groups can fully explain gaps in intelligence. If parental ability influences a child's test scores both genetically and through environment, then our findings are less informative and can be reconciled with a wide range of racial differences in inherited intelligence.

Scope of Project

JEL Classification:
      I20 Education and Research Institutions: General
      J13 Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
      J15 Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination

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Published Versions

V1 [2019-10-11]

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