How Siblings Influence Adolescents’ Cognitive Abilities and Subjective Well-being?

  • Wenyan Liang ,
  • Qian He
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  • 1. Faculty of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
    2. Capital Edcucation Economics Research Base, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China

Online published: 2024-12-24

Copyright

, 2025, Copyright reserved © 2025.

Abstract

This paper presents a comprehensive theoretical exploration of the relationship between sibling number and adolescent development, and utilizes data from the 2010—2018 Chinese Family Panel Survey (CFPS) to provide micro-level evidence for identifying the impact of siblings on adolescents’ cognitive ability and subjective well-being. The results indicate that having a sibling has a positive effect on adolescents’ subjective well-being, which increases with age and remains stable in adulthood. Having siblings may have a negative effect on adolescents’ cognitive ability in mathematics, but this effect is mainly seen in the young age sample and gradually disappears with the increase of grades and age. This paper provides information to support more effective cost-benefit analyses when parents make fertility decisions, as well as policy implications for alleviating parenting anxiety, improving fertility policies, and promoting sustainable population development.

Cite this article

Wenyan Liang , Qian He . How Siblings Influence Adolescents’ Cognitive Abilities and Subjective Well-being?[J]. Journal of East China Normal University(Educational Sciences), 2025 , 43(1) : 81 -95 . DOI: 10.16382/j.cnki.1000-5560.2025.01.006

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