Academic work
Peer-reviewed publications
- “A sound methodology: Measuring experiences of violent conflict through audio self-interviews” Economic Letters, 2024. - with Sophie von Russdorf, Laura Ahlborn, Alessandra Hidalgo & Marta Favara [Paper] [Blog] [Podcast]
This paper investigates the impact of different survey administration methods on the disclosure of sensitive or traumatic experiences. Respondents of a pilot study in Ethiopia were randomly assigned to answer questions either using audio computer-assisted self-interviewing (ACASI) or as part of a face-to-face (FtF) enumerator-based interview. Results indicate that ACASI led to higher disclosure rates of conflict-related experiences, particularly for the most sensitive questions, i.e., when either the respondent or a close friend or family member was the victim, or when the trauma suffered was more severe. ACASI offers a viable solution to measure traumatic conflict-related experience exposure in low-literacy settings, overcoming the underestimation problem commonly observed when using standard survey methods.
Working papers
- Some people feel the rain; others just get wet: Early-life rainfall and personality trait formation in Peru
Little is known about how early-life circumstances may influence personality trait formation. I assess how exposure to rainfall shocks impacts core self-evaluations, a construct highly associated with socioeconomic success, amongst young adults in Peru. I find high rainfall exposure in years 2-3 negatively affects scores. Additionally, high prenatal rainfall has a heterogeneous positive impact on scores, only affecting girls and those in the poorest households. Upon examining underlying mechanisms, I find that parents increase labour supply in response to higher rainfall, which has a negative impact on early-life social interaction and parent-child bonding, with no effects on material investments or children’s physical development. I also provide evidence that this mechanism operates heterogeneously for prenatal exposure, allowing parents to substitute for more work prior to birth, becoming more available in the household immediately after their child is born.
- Grandmothers and Grandsons: Multigenerational effects of drought exposure in Peru
This paper examines the multigenerational effects of maternal grandmothers’ exposure to drought during pregnancy, using a unique cohort study of Peruvian children and their families. I find that drought exposure has a persistent negative impact on the health stock of their daughter and grandchildren. Grandchildren have a lower height-for-age, first apparent in early childhood and persisting through adolescence, with the height gap widening as they enter puberty. Additionally, grandchildren have lower early-life weight-for-age, however this effect diminishes as children age. The effect is strongest for grandsons, and isolated to grandmothers living in rural areas during exposure, with exposure in early pregnancy having the largest impact. The first generation are also affected, with mothers being shorter in stature in adulthood. Estimating the average controlled direct effect (ACDE), I find that mother’s long-term health is the primary mediator for transmission across generations, although I cannot fully rule out other unobserved mechanisms.
- Sibling Spillover Effects in Education: Evidence From a Public School Reform in Peru - with Catherine Porter & Alan Sanchez
We estimate sibling spillover effects on attainment from a national school-day extension reform in Peru. Using a regression discontinuity design based on school eligibility criteria, we estimate a positive effect of older siblings’ increased schooling on younger sibling attainment, increasing test scores by 0.12 S.D. and 0.14 S.D. in reading and mathematics. Siblings are also more likely to achieve an “on-track” grade or above (5.4 p.p.). Positive spillover effects are primarily experienced by girls with older siblings, with the largest effect being amongst sister-sister pairs, compared with a null effect for younger brothers. Our results indicate that evaluations which consider only the benefits for the targeted child could systematically understate the benefit-cost ratio of educational reforms.
Technical Notes
- Identifying climate shocks in Young Lives communities: Estimating weather conditions using a global gridded time series | Young Lives | with Marta Favara [Report]
A growing body of research examines how climatic variables such as precipitation and temperature and particularly exposure to adverse natural disasters (droughts, floods and storms) in early life can influence later life outcomes. This Technical Note details the process of selecting, preparing and matching external data for climate variables to the locations of the communities the Young Lives study participants live in. The authors select specific data on monthly total precipitation and average air temperature, using a global gridded terrestrial time series dataset. This data matching widens the usefulness of the already rich demographic Young Lives dataset, allowing the impacts of climate on children and young adults across key stages of development to be quantified. The authors go on to detail the structure and content of the publicly archived dataset and how it may be used.
- Selection and validation of socio-emotional skill measures in round 5 of the Young Lives survey | Young Lives | with Catherine Porter, Marta Favara & Mark Mitchell
Other contributions
Statistical bulletins
- Deaths related to drug poisoning in England and Wales: 2018 registrations – ONS - with Emyr John & Asim Butt [Report]
Software
Conference Presentations
2023 - 2024
- 14th Bolivian Conference on Development Economics; Conferencia Internacional de Desarrollo Económico PUCP; 2nd International Conference on Development Economics; 36th European Society of Population Economics conference; 1st Welfare and Policy conference; Inaugural Essex PhD Conference in Applied Economics; NWSSDTP PhD Conference in Economics; Lancaster Applied Micro Workshop; 12th Summer School in Development Economics Workshop (invited)
2019 - 2022
- Lancaster University PGR conference; NWSSDTP Conference; CLOSER – Preparing for the Future III; SGPE Conference; LUMS PhD Seminar Series; Scottish Economics Conference (student speaker)