RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 The Effect of School Rank on Personality Traits
JF Journal of Human Resources
JO J Hum Resour
FD University of Wisconsin Press
SP 1218-9916R2
DO 10.3368/jhr.56.4.1218-9916R2
A1 Pagani, Laura
A1 Comi, Simona
A1 Origo, Federica
YR 2019
UL http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/early/2019/10/07/jhr.56.4.1218-9916R2.abstract
AB We study the effect of classroom rank on high-school students’ Big Five personality traits. We exploit idiosyncratic differences in the class distribution of earlier academic achievement. Such differences generate quasi-random variation in class rank for students with the same initial achievement. We find a positive and sizeable effect of rank on conscientiousness, but we find no effects on the other four personality traits. A thorough analysis of the mechanism suggests that the primary channels through which class rank improves conscientiousness are perceived ability and academic motivation.