Child Endowments, and the Quantity and Quality of Children

34 Pages Posted: 15 Feb 2001 Last revised: 4 Nov 2022

See all articles by Gary S. Becker

Gary S. Becker

University of Chicago - Department of Economics; University of Chicago - Booth School of Business

Nigel Tomes

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Date Written: February 1976

Abstract

This paper brings together and integrates social interactions and the special relation between quantity and quality. We are able to show that the observed quality income elasticity would be relatively high and the quantity elasticity relatively low and sometimes negative, even if the true "unobserved� income elasticities for quantity and quality were equal and of average value. Moreover, the observed quality elasticity would fall, and the observed quantity elasticity would rise, as parental income rose.

Suggested Citation

Becker, Gary S. and Tomes, Nigel, Child Endowments, and the Quantity and Quality of Children (February 1976). NBER Working Paper No. w0123, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=260313

Gary S. Becker (Contact Author)

University of Chicago - Department of Economics ( email )

1126 East 59th Street
Chicago, IL 60637
United States

University of Chicago - Booth School of Business

5807 S. Woodlawn Avenue
Chicago, IL 60637
United States

Nigel Tomes

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
137
Abstract Views
2,600
Rank
379,275
PlumX Metrics