Spring 2018

Robert Moffitt discusses how he used data from 1996 through 2008 to analyze the effects of 1990s welfare reforms on family structure categories that incorporate the biological status of the male, finding that most policies did not affect family structure, but that some work-related reforms increased single parenthood and decreased marriage to biological fathers. He posits that these effects of work-related welfare policies on family structure stem from their effects on increased labor force participation and earnings of single mothers combined with factors special to biological fathers, including a decline in their employment and wages.

Duke University's Emma Zang discusses the effect of intra-household property rights on women's well-being. She examines the gendered consequences of the 2011 Chinese divorce reform, a policy that transferred ownership to the registered buyer—most often the husband—following a divorce. She looks at how the elimination of property rights led to a decrease in the women’s well-being, particularly those with low social status.

As the global population ages, older decision makers will be required to take greater responsibility for their own physical, psychological and financial well-being. Duke University's Gregory Samanez-Larkin discusses the effects of ageing on decision making and associated neural circuits. He also examines how “affect-integration-motivation (AIM)” framework helps clarify how motivational circuits support decision making, and reviews recent research that sheds light on whether and how ageing influences these circuits.