Sponsored by:
The causal effects of fertility are a central focus to social sciences, but its identification is often challenged by the endogeneity of fertility choices. This paper adds to the causal evidence on the effects of fertility on older adults' life outcomes. Based on a national representative sample of older couples with genotype data, this paper proposes an innovative genetic instrumental variable (GIV) approach that utilizes the dyadic nature of the fertility decision. With the proposed GIV approach, this paper finds that fertility reduced parental extraversion and mothers' labor force participation.