The Origins of Happiness

Chapter 1

it possible to identify its average effect on all those children,

each parent had only one child in the sample. However we

can summarize the overall effect of those family characteris-

tics that we can identify. As the graphs show, the size of this

effect is similar to that of the secondary school— meaning

that the true effect of parents must be larger. One should

add of course that this includes the effect of the genes they

share with their children.

Observed family background

Primary school

Secondary school

0.27 (0.01)

0.27 (0.01)

0.28 (0.01)

β (s.e.)

0.15 0.25 0.30 0.35 0.40 R^2 = 0.160

Emotional well-being at 16

0.20

Observed family background

Primary school

Secondary school

0.31 (0.01)

0.32 (0.01)

0.31 (0.01)

β (s.e.)

0.15 0.25 0.30 0.35 0.40 R^2 = 0.209

Behavior at 16

0.20

Observed family background

Primary school

Secondary school

0.35 (0.01)

0.21 (0.01)

0.38 (0.01)

β (s.e.)

0.15 0.25 0.30 0.35 0.40 R^2 = 0.410

Intellectual performance at 16

0.20

Figure 1.5 (b). How child outcomes at 16 are affected by family and schooling

(Britain, ALSPAC)