The Impact of Childhood Social Skills and Self-Control Training on Economic and Noneconomic Outcomes: Evidence from a Randomized Experiment Using Administrative Data

A childhood intervention to improve the social skills and self-control of at-risk kindergarten boys in 1980s had positive impacts over life course: higher trust as adolescents; increased group membership, education, reduced criminality young adults; marriage employment adults. Using administrative data, we find this average yearly income by about 20 percent decreased transfers almost 40 percent. We estimate that $1 invested program around age 8 yields $11 benefits 39, with an internal rate return 17 (JEL I21, I26, I28, J13, J24, J31, Z13)