Der Zusammenhang zwischen sportlicher (Wettkampf-)Aktivität und kognitiver Leistung

Abstract

The positive effect of sporting activity and competition on individual labour market outcomes like higher wages has been shown several times before. Using the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP), this study analyses whether active participation in sports and tournaments raises the cognitive performance and thereby justifies the better outcomes at the labour market. The results show that persons exercising more are faster in mental processing and have better results in more extensive cognitive tests. The participation in sports tournaments and some variety in one’s activities increase the cognitive performance further.