Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 8, 2025
08:20
A Within-subjects Experimental Protocol to Assess the Effects of Social Input on Infant EEG
Published on: May 3, 2017
7.8K
Public Investments and Class Gaps in Parents' Developmental Expenditures
Margot I Jackson1, Daniel Schneider2
1Brown University.
American Sociological Review
|March 2, 2023
Summary
Government investments in children narrow socioeconomic gaps in parental spending on child development. Increased public spending on income support, health, and education reduces inequality by influencing parental investment behaviors.
Area of Science:
- Socioeconomic factors influencing child development
- Public policy and family economics
- Inequality in early childhood investments
Background:
- Parental investments are crucial for child development, but significant socioeconomic class gaps exist.
- These class gaps in private spending contribute to broader societal inequalities.
- Public investments in children and families may mitigate these disparities by influencing parental behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between state-level public investment and private parental expenditures on child development.
- To determine if class gaps in parental investments narrow in areas with higher public investment.
- To understand how different types of public investments (income support, health, education) affect parental spending.
Main Methods:
- Utilized newly assembled administrative data from 1998-2014.
- Linked administrative data with household-level data from the Consumer Expenditure Survey.
- Analyzed the relationship between public sector spending and private expenditures by low and high socioeconomic status (SES) parents.
Main Results:
- Higher public spending on children and families correlated with significantly narrower class gaps in private parental investments.
- Equalization was driven by increased spending from low-SES households in response to progressive public investments in income support and health.
- Decreased spending from high-SES households was observed in response to universal public education investments.
Conclusions:
- State-level public investments can effectively reduce socioeconomic disparities in parental investments for child development.
- Progressive investments in income support and health boost low-SES families' spending, while universal education spending moderates high-SES families' spending.
- Targeted public spending strategies can promote greater equity in children's developmental opportunities across socioeconomic strata.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:30Socioemotional Experience and Gender Development
59
Social-emotional experiences and cultural influences play significant roles in shaping gender development. During middle childhood, from ages 6 to 11, peer groups become dominant in reinforcing gender norms. Children in this age group often align with same-gender peer groups, which actively encourage behaviors that conform to traditional gender roles. For instance, boys may be discouraged from engaging in activities perceived as feminine, reinforcing culturally dictated norms about masculinity...
59
01:29Environmental Influences on Intelligence
389
Despite the strong genetic influence on traits like intelligence, environmental factors significantly shape outcomes. For example, while over 90% of height variation is due to genetic differences, environmental factors such as nutrition also have a notable impact. Similarly, for intelligence, changes in a child's surroundings can significantly alter their IQ. Research shows that enriched environments boost children's academic success and help them develop key cognitive skills. Children...
389
00:55Parental Care
11.8K
Many animals exhibit parental care behavior, including feeding, grooming, and protecting young offspring. Parental care is universal in mammals and birds, which often have young that are born relatively helpless. Several species of insects and fish, as well as some amphibians, also care for their young.
11.8K
01:27Introduction to Developmental Psychology
372
Developmental psychology explores the changes and continuities in human abilities throughout life, encompassing physical, cognitive, linguistic, and social dimensions. Human development is not restricted to growth, but includes aspects of decline, particularly in physical abilities as individuals age. Developmental psychologists seek to understand how people change as they age and how their mental and social skills evolve.Developmental MilestonesA key concept in developmental psychology is...
372
01:30Socioemotional Development during Infancy
87
Socio-emotional development in infancy is primarily shaped by early emotional responses and social connections, with temperament playing a central role. Temperament refers to the consistent patterns in an individual's emotional and behavioral responses, observable even in infancy. By examining temperament, researchers can better understand an infant's unique ways of interacting with the world, influencing subsequent personality and socio-emotional growth.
Primary Temperament Types
Primary Temperament Types
87
01:27Parenting Styles
100
Diana Baumrind's four parenting styles — authoritarian, authoritative, neglectful, and permissive — each influence children's socio-emotional development differently.
Authoritarian Parenting
This style is strict and controlling, with little room for open dialogue. Authoritarian parents demand obedience and often enforce rules with minimal warmth. Children raised this way may lack social skills and initiative, usually comparing themselves to others unfavorably.
Authoritative...
Authoritarian Parenting
This style is strict and controlling, with little room for open dialogue. Authoritarian parents demand obedience and often enforce rules with minimal warmth. Children raised this way may lack social skills and initiative, usually comparing themselves to others unfavorably.
Authoritative...
100