The economics, technology, and neuroscience of human capability formation
- Department of Economics, University of Chicago, 1126 East 59th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, and American Bar Foundation, 750 North Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60611
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Edited by Richard A. Easterlin, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, and approved May 1, 2007 (received for review April 30, 2007)
Abstract
This article begins the synthesis of two currently unrelated literatures: the human capital approach to health economics and the economics of cognitive and noncognitive skill formation. A lifecycle investment framework is the foundation for understanding the origins of human inequality and for devising policies to reduce it.
Footnotes
- E-mail: jjh{at}uchicago.edu
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Author contributions: J. Heckman designed research, performed research, contributed new reagents/analytic tools, analyzed data, and wrote the paper.
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The author declares no conflict of interest.
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This article is a PNAS Direct Submission.
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↵ † Currie, J. (2006) Institut zur Zukunft der Arbeit Seminar, Apr. 7, 2006, Bonn, Germany.
- Abbreviation:
- CES,
- constant elasticity of substitution.
- © 2007 by The National Academy of Sciences of the USA
