Chapter 5 Summary

In Chapter 5, the authors argue that research refutes the conventional wisdom held by most parents that what a parent does makes a difference in whether a child succeeds. The chapter begins with a discussion of the recent proliferation of parenting experts who have presented conflicting opinions on good parenting. Freakonomics explains that, despite their contradictory advice, the experts all appear extremely confident that their position is correct. In fact, they must project this confidence because an expert who seems to doubt his own theories will get less attention. The authors note that experts thrive on people's fear of what might happen if the experts' advice is not heeded. Since fear is the driving force for parents, parents are particularly susceptible to expert advice, even if it is bunk. Thus, much of the conventional wisdom of parents is flawed. For instance, most parents are...