The Gender Heterogeneity in the Long-Term Effects of the Number of Siblings on Individual Human Capital Accumulation
This study utilizes data from the 2010 China Family Panel Studies(CFPS)to estimate the long-term impact of the number of siblings on the gender differences in cognitive and non-cognitive abilities of adults,and provides a new perspective for the adjustment and improvement of the China's fertility policy.In order to solve the endogeneity problem of the regression model,this paper constructs instrumental variables for the number of siblings based on the different implementation times of the"Later,Longer,Fewer"policy and the differences in mothers'fertility when the policy is implemented.The results show that an increase in the number of siblings has a significant negative impact on women's individual cognitive and non-cognitive abilities compare to men.Consistent with"resource dilution theory"and son preference hypothesis,this negative effect is more pronounced in rural areas,low-income areas,and underdeveloped areas.In addition,we found that the negative effect of the number of siblings on women was more severe for those born earlier in the birth order.Mechanism analysis shows that the increase in the number of siblings has a negative effect on women's education and health.The results are robust even after controlling for possible disruptions caused by the one-child policy,immigration,being in a one-child family,and different in cognitive and non-cognitive meas-ures.
Cognitive AbilityNon-Cognitive AbilityBrothers and SistersLong-Term EffectsGender Differences
万方数据
维普
