The neo-classical approach to analyzing the performance of an economy assumes that in the face of pervasive scarcity individuals make choices reflecting a set of desires, wants or preferences. But valuable as this model has been for the development of an elegant body of theory it is a very...

The long-run impact on earnings of motivational and social factors is assessed using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID). Our analyses use a sample of men first observed in their 20s and relates their social and motivational traits to labor-market attainments measured 15-25 years...