Featured Research
Parental Investment and Child Development
Job market paper
Abstract:
This paper explores the dynamic formation of child human capital by modeling the joint evolution of
cognitive skills, noncognitive skills, and health. It analyzes the process by which current levels of cognitive skills, noncognitive skills and health depend on past cognitive and noncognitive abilities, past health, parental cognitive and noncognitive abilities and parental investments. I develop dynamic, structural production function models of human capital with endogenous
parental investments to examine dynamic complementarities and interactions among different inputs and factors in
forming child human capital. I use a maximum likelihood approach to estimate the joint distribution of latent factors,
which are proxied by observable measures and dynamic CES production functions of human capital. The results show
strong effects of parental investments on child cognitive skills, noncognitive skills and health and indicate that parental
investments are driven by parental skills and resources. The results also indicate evidence that there are dynamic complementarities among the inputs in human capital production, implying that returns to investments are higher for children
with better initial conditions. These results imply that children with better backgrounds get more investments, and they also use these investments more productively. There is evidence of high levels of self-productivity and the existence of cross-productivity
from noncognitive skills and health to cognitive skills and from cognitive and noncognitive skills to health.
The self-effects,
cross-effects and dynamic complementarities together
become a dynamic multiplier effect mechanism of human capital accumulation.
This effect mechanism leads to substantially different developmental
trajectories among children and substantial increases in inequality. The paper highlights the importance of policies and interventions boosting investments in children from poor
backgrounds at early ages, contributing to the literature on inequality and intergenerational mobility.
Transition from School to Work: The Role of
Cognitive and Noncognitive Skills
Working paper
Abstract: This paper examines the effects of cognitive and noncognitive skills on college completion decisions and subsequent earnings. I develop and estimate a structural model that explicitly embeds a Roy model of endogenous education choices and subsequent earnings within a latent factor model. This approach allows for the identification of latent competencies to capture multiple skill dimensions more accurately and correct for measurement errors in observed measures of skills. It also allows for the isolation of the effects of these skills on earnings into components explained by schooling and productivity. Furthermore, this approach solves the endogeneity and reverse causality problems of skills, schooling and earnings by excluding education variables from earnings equations, introducing latent skills and using panel data with skills and outcomes observed at different times. The findings indicate that both cognitive and noncognitive skills in adolescence are associated with college completion and better earnings in early adulthood. Both types of skills are important in directly determining earnings and indirectly determining earnings through their influence on schooling.
The Consequences of Bullying Victimization on Health
and Psychosocial Outcomes in Young Children
Working paper
Abstract: This paper uses a structural
model combined with an instrumental variable strategy to deal with the
endogeneity and measurement error issues of bullying to study the consequences
of peer victimization on a range of health and psychosocial indicators. The findings
indicate that peer victimization has strong effects on subjective well-being,
alcohol consumption and emotional and mental distress of children. These
results are consistent with evidence from both developed and developing
countries that bullying has substantial consequences on health risks and
psychosocial outcomes. I do not find evidence of associations between bullying
victimization and self-rated health.
Published books
[1] Cuong M.N (ed.), Nguyen D.T., et al. (2013), Fundamental Issues in Current Social Policy in Vietnam, the National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, Vietnam.
[2] Vinh P.H, Hoa H.V (eds.), Nguyen D.T., et al. (2010), The Development of Driving Force Industry in Hanoi to 2020: Situation and Solutions, the National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, Vietnam.
[3] Phan. N.D, The T.D, Nam T.N, Son N.H, Nguyen D.T. (2009), Improvement of Public Administration Services in Hanoi to meet the economic Integration, the National Economics University Publishing House, Hanoi, Vietnam.
Journal articles
[1] Pham H.C., Bui D.T., Nguyen D.T., Nguyen T.L., Socio-economic Development 2011 -2013: Fundermental Issues and Recommendations, Journal of Economics and Development, Vol. 196, pp.3-13, 10/2013.
[2] Nguyen D.T., Nguyen D.H., University Governance: International Experience and Lessons for Vietnam, Journal of Economicsand Development,Vol. 188 (II), pp.121-128, 2/2013.
[3] Nguyen D.T., Developing the Organizational Structure of Economic and Business Universities in Vietnam, The International Conference Proceedings on The Renovation of Governance Model of Economic and Business Universities in Vietnam, Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam, Hanoi, December, 2012.
Research Projects & Policy Reports
[1] Ho H.Y., Nguyen H.M., Nguyen D.T., Trinh M.V., Do D.B. (1/2013), Strengthening the Coordination in the state management of Universities in Hanoi, The Ministerial level research project, The Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam.
[2] Hoang V.H., Pham H.V., Nguyen D.T., Le A.T., Ho H.Y. (2010), The Analysis and Assessment of Scientific and Technology Capacities of Economics and Business Universities in meeting the Need of The Society in Vietnam, The Ministerial level research project, The Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam.
[3] Pham T.L., Hoang V.H., Nguyen T.Q., Nguyen D.T. (2009), The Renovation of Research Management Mechanism to improve the Training and Research Quality in the Business and Economic Universities, The Ministerial level research project, The Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam.
[4] Mai N.C.,Hoang N.V, Nguyen D.T., Bui D.D.D, Tran M.C. (2009), Aged Population trends and Financial Recourses for implementing the Social Security Policy in Rural Vietnam up to 2020, The Ministerial level research project, the Ministryof Education and Training.
[5] Nguyen D.P., Nguyen D.T. (2008), The Organizational Structure of Economic and Business Universities in the North of Vietnam, The Ministerial level research project, The Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam.
[6] Nguyen V.T., Hoang V.H., DoD.B., Pham H.C., Nguyen Q.T., Le A.T., Nguyen A.T., Nguyen T.Q., Ho H.Y., Nguyen D.T. (2008), Enhancement of Research Effectiveness in Business and Economic Universities in Vietnam, The Ministerial level research project, The Ministry of Education andTraining of Vietnam.
[7] Hoang V.H., Phan, H.C., Nguyen T.Q., Le A.T., Nguyen D.T., Ho H.Y., Nguyen T.H., Tran B.T. (2008), The Role of Business and Economic Universities in the Development of Science and Technology Market in Vietnam, The Ministerial level research project, The Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam.
[8] People’s Committee of Tay Ho District (2009), the Master Plan on Socio-economic Development in Tay Ho District, People’s Committee of Tay Ho District.
Books translated
[1] Cliff Alcock, Sarah Payne, Michael Sullivan (2000), Introducing Social Policy, Second Edition, Pearson Education.
[2] Michael Hill (2000), Understanding Social Policy, Sixth Edition. Oxford: Blackwell.
[3] Robert F. Drake (2001), The Principles of Social Policy, PalgraveMacmillan.