In this seminar, Dr Francesca Fiori presents her work on the effect of residential mobility on cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes in early and middle childhood. Using data from the Growing Up in Scotland, she applies linear regression models and inverse probability weighting to control for selection into residential mobility by family background.

Family inequalities, residential mobility and child outcomes.

Event organiser: Advanced Quantitative Research in Education Hub - Moray House School of Education and Sport

Presentation title: Family inequalities, residential mobility and child outcomes

Presenter: Dr Francesca Fiori, Associate lecturer in Geography at the Universit of St Andrews

Abstract: Life-course research suggests that individuals are more mobile when they have young children, and that children who stay in the same home have better life outcomes than their more mobile counterparts. This study contributes to new knowledge by investigating the role played by the child’s family social background in explaining the effect of mobility on child development.

Using data from Growing Up in Scotland on children born in 2004-05, the study addresses the following research questions:

• Does selection into residential mobility by family social background explains the negative effect mobility on child outcomes?

• And does the effect of residential mobility vary depending on children’s social background?

Linear regression models are used to estimate the effect of residential mobility on cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes in early and middle childhood. Inverse Probability Weighting is used to control for selection into residential mobility by family background, while interaction terms account for the heterogeneity of residential mobility effects. Findings suggest that accounting for differences in the socio-economic composition of movers and non-movers explain a large part of, but not all, the negative effect of a move, and that the implication of residential mobility might depend on the child’s family background.