Research seminar: Hwan-sik Choi (Binghamton University)

We would like to invite you to a research seminar by Hwan-sik Choi, Associate Professor of Economics at Binghamton University.

Paper: The Role of Noncognitive Ability on Health Status and Wealth Accumulation

Authors: Alan Adelman (Binghamton University) and Hwan-sik Choi (Binghamton University)

Abstract: We study the role of noncognitive ability, focusing on Conscientiousness, in wealth accumulation and its indirect effect through health status channel. Conscientiousness is associated with a 24 percent increase in total net wealth. The indirect effect through health status is 17 percent of the total effect of Conscientiousness. These results persist when we control for socioeconomic status, parental characteristics, and cognitive ability. We use novel instruments for health status using polygenic scores and obtain similar results to the OLS results: Conscientiousness plays an important role in wealth accumulation and a fundamental factor behind the health effect on wealth accumulation.

The seminar will take place on Thursday, June 1, in Room 105 since 12:00.