Socioeconomic gaps in child development emerge early, linked to disparities in parental investments. This study demonstrates that parental beliefs about early investments' impact differ across socioeconomic status (SES), with higher-SES parents more likely to believe in their importance. Two randomized controlled trials explored belief malleability and its link to parental investments and child development. The first trial (educational videos) changed beliefs but not investments or outcomes. The second (intensive home visits) improved all three: beliefs, parent-child interactions, and children's vocabulary, math, and social-emotional skills.

John A. List, Julie Pernaudet, Dana L. Suskind