Project description
Neighbourhood effects on adopted child development
Childhood outcomes are intricately connected to the socio-economic characteristics of one’s neighbours. Observational studies need to take genetics into consideration. However, conducting experimental designs proves to be expensive and is confined to individuals from lower socio-economic backgrounds. The MSCA-funded PAN project seeks to investigate the influence of neighbourhoods on adoptees, aiming to estimate the potential impact of neighbourhoods while controlling for genetic and socio-economic variables. The Danish registry data offers a unique opportunity to delve into the influence of neighbourhoods on child development. By using personality data from the registry, researchers can delve into how neighbourhoods shape significant child attributes from a young age. This is especially valuable for traits that have long-term consequences, such as behavioural disinhibition, which can ultimately lead to future involvement in criminal activities.
Objective
Childhood outcomes across a range of domains are correlated with the socio-economic characteristics of the child’s neighbours. Yet, work on the topic is dominated by observational designs that do not consider the confounding effect of genetics. Although experimental designs exist, these are extremely expensive and usually rely on a restricted range of people from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Consequently, the overarching aim of the PAN project is to estimate the plausible effect of neighbourhoods, absent genetic confounding and restricted socio-economic range, by examining neighbourhood effects on adoptees.
Danish registry data provides a unique opportunity to pursue this aim due to its combination of adoptees placed pseudo-randomly with non-relatives across the full socio-economic spectrum, and the availability of annual personality assessments as well as classic outcomes data throughout the childhood years. The use of registry personality data allows me to explore neighbourhood effects on pertinent child characteristics from a young age, as there are domains for which the classical outcome data primarily apply at later ages even if dispositions towards particular outcomes are detectable earlier—e.g. behavioural disinhibition as a precursor to crime. The integration of adoptees and childhood personality is, therefore, a distinctively powerful and practical approach to clarify where (in the socio-economic distribution) and when (in children’s development) effects of neighbourhoods are most potent. Given the potential importance of neighbourhoods in intergenerational inequality, answers to these questions may inform effective government policies.
By completing the project under the supervision of Associate Professor Steven Ludeke at University of Southern Denmark, I will gain valuable training as well as experience on registry data, adoptees, and ‘big data’, which will make me more competitive in my pursuit of a career in academia or as a data scientist.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European FellowshipsCoordinator
5230 Odense M
Denmark