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Does sibling gender composition affect the cognitive ability of teenage girls? Evidence from rural China

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This study examines whether the cognitive ability of girls in China is impaired by having brothers. It explores the mechanisms through which having brothers affects the cognitive development of sisters and the reasons behind these impacts. Results using data from the China Education Panel Survey (CEPS) leveraging the one-child policy and policies prohibiting gender selection to minimize the endogeneity of sibling size and sibling gender, suggest that: (1) having brothers is associated with lower cognitive ability of teenage girls, while no significant association is observed for boys; (2) parental expectations and the expectations of girls for themselves regarding education, are important mechanisms behind these associations; and (3) son preference is mainly attributed to potential parental needs for old-age support rather than ancestral worship inherent within the traditions of Confucian culture. These findings highlight the importance of changing traditional gender attitudes by improving the pension system and certain infrastructure, and by further guaranteeing equal rights for women in the labor market.

Source: The Journal of Chinese Sociology

DOI: 10.1186/s40711-025-00244-0

Authors: Xinran Liu, Wei Ge, Lingyun Cui

Institutions: Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University

Language: English

Topic: Demographic Trends and Gender Preferences

Subfield: Gender Studies

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Reduced inequalities, Gender equality

Open Access status: diamond

Funders: Department of Education of Shandong Province, Jinan Office of Philosophy and Social Science