grit and dreams: character strengths, social mobility and the american dream

Richard V. Reeves

Policy Director

Center on Children & Families

The Brookings Institution

UNLV, September 22nd, 2014

Grit and Dreams:Character Strengths, Social Mobility

and the American Dream

2

What is the American Dream?• Shared prosperity?

• Rising living standards?

• A strong middle class?

• No poverty?

• Fair treatment?

• Meritocracy?

• High rates of relative mobility?

3

Horatio Alger’s Dream“In this free country poverty in early life is no bar to a man’s advancement. … Save your money, my lad, buy books, and determine to be somebody,” Mr Whitney to ‘Ragged Dick’, 1868

4Pres. Obama (and of course every President before him)…

“I renew my commitment to the basic bargain that built this country – the idea that if you work hard and meet your responsibilities, you can get ahead, no matter where you come from…”

5

“That all men are created equal

6

“That all men are created equal and independent’

7

The State of the American Dream, Using Lego…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2XFh_tD2RA

8

9

The (Mobility) Power of a BA

10

One Factor: Higher EducationFraction of students completing college, projected

Source: Author’s tabulations and Martha J. Bailey and Susan M. Dynarski, “Inequality in Postsecondary Education,” in Whither Opportunity? Rising Inequality, Schools, and Children’s Life Chances, edited by Greg Duncan and Richard Murnane (New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 2011), p. 117-132.

Lowest Quartile 2nd Quartile 3rd Quartile Highest Quartile0.00

0.10

0.20

0.30

0.40

0.50

0.60

0.05

0.14

0.170.09

0.21

0.32

0.24

0.44

1961-1964 birth cohorts

1979-1982 birth cohorts

11

One Factor: Higher EducationFraction of students completing college, actual

Source: Author’s tabulations and Martha J. Bailey and Susan M. Dynarski, “Inequality in Postsecondary Education,” in Whither Opportunity? Rising Inequality, Schools, and Children’s Life Chances, edited by Greg Duncan and Richard Murnane (New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 2011), p. 117-132.

Lowest Quartile 2nd Quartile 3rd Quartile Highest Quartile0.00

0.10

0.20

0.30

0.40

0.50

0.60

0.05

0.14

0.17

0.36

0.09

0.21

0.32

0.54

0.24

0.44

1961-1964 birth cohorts

1979-1982 birth cohorts

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Prudence

“Men often reach for the nearer good, even though they know it be the less valuable.”

John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism, 1861

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Want this? Now, or More Later?

14

Want this now?

15

Or these in 15 minutes?

16

But then, add crayons…

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‘Grit’Perry Pre-K No Lasting Impact on IQ Scores

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But Still Improved Outcomes…

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‘Grit’: The Coding Speed Test

1. If Game = 2715 Chin = 3231 House = 4232

2. House = a) 4232 b) 2715 c) 3231 d) 4563 e) 2864?

Absurdly easy (for vast majority), but spine-crackingly dull.

20

‘Stick-with-it-ness’ & Mobility

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‘Stick-with-it-ness’, by income

bottom income quintile 2nd income quintile middle income quintile 4th income quintile top income quintile

0%

15%

30%

45%

60%

0.2181

0.3274

0.4079

0.4568

0.5527

Top Third Coding Speed Scorers by Income Quintile

Family Income Quintile in Adolescence

Perc

ent

wit

h T

op T

hir

d C

odin

g S

peed S

core

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Are there class divides in character strengths?3. 5th Grade Non-Cog. Scores by Family Income

Persistence Self Control2.50

2.60

2.70

2.80

2.90

3.00

3.10

3.20

3.30

3.40

Average Scores by Family Income

$7,500-$12,500$12,500-$17,250$17,250-$22,500$22,500-$27,500$27,500-$32,500$32,500-$37,500$37,500-$45,000$45,000-$67,500$67,500-$87,500

Source: ECLS-K, data supplied by Jason Fletcher

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Character Strengths: Our Measure ‘Hyperactivity’ subscale of the Behavioral Problems Index in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) 1979: Children and Young Adults

Mother rates statements about her child as “not true,” “sometimes true,” or “often true”:

• Has difficulty concentrating/paying attention

• Is easily confused, seems in a fog

• Is impulsive or acts without thinking

• Has trouble getting mind off certain thoughts

• Is restless, overly active, cannot sit still

We have measures for the early years (5/6) and middle childhood (10/11)

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Character Strengths (BPI):Breakdown

Low Skills(<1 SD below mean)

Medium Skills(1SD below – 1SD above mean)

High Skills(<1 SD above mean)

Early Childhood

15.61% 59.29% 25.09%

Middle Childhood

16.84% 55.06% 28.10%

Composite Measure

Always Low

Sometimes Low

Always Middle

Sometimes High

Always High

Low/High

6.73% 17.05% 36.88% 23.53% 13.85% 1.95%

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Are there class divides in character strengths? Very Early BPI Gaps

9 months 24 months

-0.5

-0.45

-0.4

-0.35

-0.3

-0.25

-0.2

-0.15

-0.1

-0.05

0

-0.16

-0.3

Disparities on the Positive Behavior Index Scores between Higher- and Lower-Income Infants at 9 and 24 Months

Sta

ndard

Devia

tion f

rom

the m

ean

score

for

all

above 2

00%

of

povert

y

Source: Halle, Forry, Hari, Perper, Wandner, Wessel, and VIck, 2009

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Early Years Character Strengths: Key Outcomes

Graduate College

Not pregnant as teen

Not arrested as adolescent

Graduate high school with a GPA greater than 2.5

17%

80%

78%

48%

26%

87%

81%

64%

36%

90%

85%

77%

Low levels of hyperactivity Medium levels of hyperactivityChildren with high levels of hyperactivity

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Middle Childhood Character Strengths: Key Outcomes

Graduate College

Not pregnant as teen

Not arrested as adolescent

Graduate high school with a GPA greater than 2.5

18%

82%

72%

47%

27%

87%

82%

64%

38%

89%

87%

76%

Low levels of hyperactivity Medium levels of hyperactivity

Children with high levels of hyperactivity

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Composite Measure Character Strengths: Key Outcomes

Graduate College

Not pregnant as teen

Not arrested as adolescent

Graduate high school with a GPA greater than 2.5

17%

80%

75%

43%

18%

82%

74%

50%

25%

87%

83%

64%

32%

90%

85%

74%

39%

91%

88%

80%

Always Low Levels of Hyperactivity Sometimes LowAlways Medium Sometimes HighAlways High Levels of Hyperactivity

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Character Strengths v. Smarts: What matters most for HS Graduation?

High n

on-c

ognit

ive s

kills

High m

ath

skills

High re

ading

skil

ls

Low n

on-c

ognit

ive s

kills

Low m

ath

skills

Low re

ading

skil

ls-40%

-20%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

140%

67%

53%

113%

-31% -30%

Change inlikelihood,

compared to middle skilled

Children, with controls

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Final Thoughts• American Dream based on meritocratic

movement, circulation of elites

• Individualist egalitarianism: born equal, but responsible for own destiny

• US is falling short of its own Dream

• Among the vital skills for mobility are character strengths as well as smarts

• So, equal opportunity policy needs to incorporate these skills into analysis and policy, too

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Really, Honestly Final ThoughtDoes the individualist egalitarianism underpinning the American ideal of equal opportunity rely not only upon ‘book smarts’, but also on character strengths such as prudence and grit?

OR

Does the American Dream require a certain dose of the Frontier Spirit?