An Empirical Study of the Quantity-Quality Fertility Model Öffentlichkeit

Abstract

Gary S. Becker's Quantity-Quality Fertility Model states that there is a tradeoff between the
number of children in the family and the quality of children. This is because as the number of
children in the family increases, each child receives a smaller share of the parents' investment
and becomes worse off. This paper tries to confirm the quantity-quality tradeoff by using twins
as a natural experiment to mimic an exogenous increase in the number of children in the family.
In this paper, quality of children is measured by educational attainment. Our econometrics
analyses did not yield convincing evidence that having younger twin siblings in the household
decreases the quality of the older children. Also, we did not find substantial evidence that
parental investment in children is significantly compromised in the presence of younger twin
siblings.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1
Literature Review................................................................................................................... 3
Data ................................................................................................................................... 6
Empirical Methodology ............................................................................................................ 8
Results ............................................................................................................................... 15
Conclusion ........................................................................................................................... 25
Bibliography ......................................................................................................................... 27

Figures and Tables

Table 1. Variable Description ................................................................................................... 28
Table 2. Summary Statistics ................................................................................................... 31
Table 3. Determinants of Child Quality Measured by GPA .............................................................. 33
Table 4. Determinants of Child Quality Measured by Subject ......................................................... 35
Table 5. Determinants of Number of Siblings .............................................................................. 37
Table 6. Determinants of Having Twins Siblings in the Household ................................................... 38
Table 7. Multiple Birth's Effect on Child Quality ........................................................................... 39
Table 8. Multiple Birth's Effent on Parental Children Investment Behavior ......................................... 41

About this Honors Thesis

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School	Emory College
Department	Economics
Degree	BA
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Economics, General
Stichwort	Quantity-Quality Fertility Model Becker Child Quality
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Francis, Andrew, Emory University
Committee Members	Curran, Christopher, Emory University McCauley, Robert, Emory University

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