Traditionally focused on external constraints, economists are increasingly recognizing the importance of internal constraints that reflect perceptions as much as reality. Perceived self-efficacy (PSE)—individuals’ perception of their domain-specific capabilities—fundamentally shapes these...

The effective design and implementation of interventions that reduce vulnerability and poverty require a solid understanding of underlying poverty dynamics and associated behavioral responses. Stochastic and dynamic benefit streams can make it difficult for the poor to learn the value of such...

We examine the economic impact of high-yielding crop varieties (HYVs) in developing countries 1960-2000. We use time variation in the development and diffusion of HYVs of 10 major crops, spatial variation in agro-climatically suitability for growing them, and a differences-in-differences...