Noncognitive Skills and Socioemotional Learning James Heckman University of Chicago and University College Dublin A Research Symposium on Learning The Center for Universal Education The Brookings Institution December 6, 2012 JamesHeckman NoncognitiveSkillsandSocioemotionalLearning “Character is higher than intellect.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson (1849, reprinted 1979, p. 99) “We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.” –Martin Luther King, Jr JamesHeckman NoncognitiveSkillsandSocioemotionalLearning The importance of character skills is emphasized in the folk wisdom of society. Some examples are “It doesn’t matter if you try and try and try again, and fail. It matters much if you try and fail, and fail to try again.” – Charles Kettering “Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.” –Thomas Edison “80% of success is showing up.” –Woody Allen JamesHeckman NoncognitiveSkillsandSocioemotionalLearning The Big Five “OCEAN” Openness Agreeableness Conscientiousness Extraversion Neuroticism Most Predictive: Conscientiousness “Grit” Persistence Tenacity Aesop’s Fables offers numerous examples of the wisdom or lack of wisdom of its subjects where wisdom involves judgment, character and the ability to defer gratification and cooperate with others. JamesHeckman NoncognitiveSkillsandSocioemotionalLearning Yet despite the widespread belief of the fundamental importance of these skills in most societies, when countries, schools, or foundations measure the output of schools or educational interventions or the quality of the societies, they invariably neglect character skills and measure success by achievement tests. PISA AFQT NCLB JamesHeckman NoncognitiveSkillsandSocioemotionalLearning Recent evidence shows that: 1 There are stable personality skills. 2 There are accurate ways to measure these skills. 3 These skills are not “set in stone” at birth. 4 Skills evolve over the life cycle. 5 While there is a powerful genetic component, genetics is far from being the whole story. 6 Personality skills can be shaped by families and environments. JamesHeckman NoncognitiveSkillsandSocioemotionalLearning Recent research also distinguishes aspects of cognition. 1 IQ is a measure of raw problem solving ability. 2 Achievement tests capture acquired knowledge which depends on IQ and motivation to learn. 3 In a crude way, achievement tests capture some noncognitive skills but bundle with cognitive skills. JamesHeckman NoncognitiveSkillsandSocioemotionalLearning A core set of cognitive and noncognitive skills predict a wide variety of behaviors. JamesHeckman NoncognitiveSkillsandSocioemotionalLearning Ever Been in Jail by Age 30, by Ability (Males) Ever been in jail by age 30, by ability (males) Polarization .15 Argument Skills Evidence .10 CSPeerirntiioscidatislv aen d Probability .05 Environment Intuitive Estimates .00 Illustration 0 – 20 21 – 40 41 – 60 61 – 80 81 – 100 Percentile Summary Cognitive Noncognitive Note: Thisfigure plots the probability of a given behavior associated with moving up in one ability distribution for someone after Note: This figintuegrraetingp oluot tthse otthhere disptribruotibona. Fbori elxiatmypleo, fthea linegs iwvithe mnarkberes hshaowv tihoe reffeacts osf oinccreiaasitnge ndoncwogintitihve ambilitoy vafitenr g up inoneabilityindteigsrattrinigb thue tcioognnitivef aobrilitys.omeoneafterintegratingouttheotherdistribution. For example,thelineswithmarkersshowtheeffectofincreasingnoncognitiveabilityafter integratingthecognitiveability. Source: Heckman, Stixrud, and Urzua (2006). Source: Heckman,Stixrud,andUrzua(2006). JamesHeckman NoncognitiveSkillsandSocioemotionalLearning Cognitive and Socioemotional Factors: Physical Health, Males 0.4 0.4 0.2 0.2 0 0 -0.2 -0.2 -0.4 -0.4 -0.6 -0.6 -0.8 -0.8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Decile of Cognitive Capability Distribution Decile of Socioemotional Capability Distribution JamesHeckman NoncognitiveSkillsandSocioemotionalLearning