TY  - RPRT
        AU  - Stillman, Steven
AU  - Velamuri, Malathi
        TI  - Are Personality Traits Really Fixed and Does It Matter?
        PY  - 2020/Jun/
        PB  - Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
        CY  - Bonn
        T2  - IZA Discussion Paper
        IS  - 13342
        UR  - https://www.iza.org/index.php/publications/dp13342
        AB  - A nascent but burgeoning literature examines the importance of non-cognitive skills in determining success across many facets of life. The majority of these papers treat these skills as fixed traits for adults. We estimate the impact of a number of life events on the Big Five personality traits and locus of control. A subset of life events have large impacts on these non-cognitive skills, especially on locus of control. For some events, these impacts persist in the medium-run. We then demonstrate that treating personality traits as fixed can lead to biased estimates of their relationship with socioeconomic outcomes.
        KW  - personality
KW  - non-cognitive skills
KW  - life events
KW  - fixed
        ER  -