Table 5.

The Impact of Cognitive Ability and Personality on Education Gradients National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979, Whites

				Coefficient on Years of Education				Reduction in Education Coefficient
						Addition to Economic and Family Background controls			Addition to Income and Family Background
Measure	Mean	N	Year	Demographic and family background Controls	Economics controls	ASVAB Scores	Personality Scales	Economic controls	ASVAB Scores	Personality Scales
Smoking
Current Smoker	27%	5052	1998	−0.049**	−0.047**	−0.039**	−0.045**	5%	15%	4%
				(0.003)	(0.003)	(0.003)	(0.003)
Former Smoker	21%	5053	1998	0.0028	0.0027	0.0003	0.0014	3%	86%	49%
				(0.003)	(0.003)	(0.003)	(0.003)
Diet/Exercise
BMI	27.53	4548	2002	−0.197**	−0.169**	−0.126**	−0.156**	14%	22%	7%
				(0.039)	(0.040)	(0.046)	(0.040)
Underweight	1%	4548	2002	−0.00106	−0.00067	−0.00087	−0.00094	37%	−19%	−25%
				(0.0008)	(0.0008)	(0.0009)	(0.0008)
Overweight	64%	4548	2002	−0.014**	−0.013**	−0.006	−0.013**	4%	51%	1%
				(0.003)	(0.003)	(0.004)	(0.003)
Obese	27%	4548	2002	−0.016**	−0.014**	−0.012**	−0.013**	17%	9%	3%
				(0.003)	(0.003)	(0.004)	(0.003)
Vigorous exercise	42%	3730	1998	0.032**	0.030**	0.029**	0.024**	8%	1%	17%
				(0.004)	(0.004)	(0.005)	(0.004)
Light exercise	79%	3729	1998	0.019**	0.017**	0.010**	0.013**	8%	38%	21%
				(0.004)	(0.003)	(0.004)	(0.003)
Alcohol
Current drinker	60%	4704	2002	0.016**	0.010**	−0.001	0.006*	40%	64%	24%
				(0.003)	(0.003)	(0.004)	(0.003)
Heavy drinker (mean # of drinks>=5--all population)	8%	4704	2002	−0.011**	−0.009**	−0.008**	−0.009**	16%	10%	−2%
				(0.002)	(0.002)	(0.002)	(0.002)
Frequency of heavy drinking past month (drinkers only)	97%	2751	2002	−0.141**	−0.132**	−0.106**	−0.126**	7%	18%	4%
				(0.019)	(0.019)	(0.023)	(0.020)
Number of drinks (drinkers only)	264%	2746	2002	−0.154**	−0.134**	−0.087**	−0.125**	13%	30%	6%
				(0.016)	(0.016)	(0.019)	(0.017)
Illegal Drugs
Never tried pot	34%	5036	1998	0.002	0.002	0.008**	0.003	−3%	−339%	−68%
				(0.003)	(0.003)	(0.003)	(0.003)
# times smoked pot in life>50	26%	5036	1998	−0.014**	−0.014**	−0.017**	−0.014**	3%	−27%	−4%
				(0.003)	(0.003)	(0.003)	(0.003)
Never tried cocaine	73%	5048	1998	0.000	0.000	0.007**	0.000	123%	1906%	117%
				(0.003)	(0.003)	(0.003)	(0.003)
# times used cocaine in life>50	7%	5048	1998	−0.006**	−0.005**	−0.008**	−0.006**	13%	−67%	−17%
				(0.002)	(0.002)	(0.002)	(0.002)
Preventive Care Use
Regular doctor visit last year	57%	4709	2002	0.005**	0.003	0.007	0.002	36%	−57%	35%
				(0.003)	(0.003)	(0.003)	(0.003)
OBGYN visit last year	58%	2424	2002	0.027**	0.021**	0.023**	0.021**	22%	−9%	−1%
				(0.004)	(0.005)	(0.006)	(0.005)
Other
Read food labels	46%	4709	2002	0.035**	0.034**	0.020**	0.031**	1%	40%	10%
				(0.003)	(0.003)	(0.004)	(0.003)
Average Reduction in Education Coefficient
Unweighted standardized index, excluding OBGYN visits, 2002			2002	0.033**	0.028**	0.020**	0.026**	14%	27%	7%
				(0.003)	(0.003)	(0.004)	(0.003)
Unweighted standardized index, 1998			1998	0.021**	0.020**	0.018**	0.018**	4%	10%	13%
				(0.003)	(0.003)	(0.004)	(0.003)
Unweighted percentages (outcomes w/significant gradients at baseline)								14%	9%	7%
Unweighted percentages, excluding illegal drugs (outcomes w/significant gradients at baseline)								15%	18%	10%
Mortality weighted								12%	15%	4%

Reading food labels is an indicator for whether the person always or often reads nutritional labels when buying food for the first time. Frequency of heavy drinking reports the number of times in the last month that the respondent had 6 or more drinks in a single occasion. Demographic controls include a full set of dummies for age, and gender. Economic controls include family income, family size, regio MSA, marital status. Background controls include whether respondent is American, whether mom is America, whether dad is American, familiy income in 1979, mother's education, father's education, whether lived with dad in 1979, whether the person had tried marijuana by 1979, whether the person had damaged property by 1979, whether the person had fought in school by 1979, and whether the person had been charged with a crime by 1980 and height. Personality scores include the Rosen self esteem score in 1980 and 1987, the Pearlin score of self control in 1992, the Rotter scale of control over one's life in 1979, whether the person considered themselves shy at age 6 and as an adult (in 1985), and history of depression (the CESD, measured in 1992 and 1994). Sample contains individuals with no missing education or AFQT. Indicator variables for missing controls are included whenever any other control is missing.

Unweighted regressions use the methodology in Kling et al. (2007). NLSY weights are used in all regressions and in calculating means.

^**(*) indicates statistical significance at the 5% (10%) level.