父母期望壓力對人力資本的影響

THE EFFECTS OF PRESSURE FROM PARENTAL EXPECTATIONS ON HUMAN CAPITAL

本文使用「台灣青少年計畫」，分析父母期望壓力對人力資本的影響。人力資本包括學業表現、非認知能力和心理健康，實證方法採用迴歸分析和雙重穩健估計法（double-robust estimators）。發現父母期望壓力與在校學業成績沒有顯著的關係，但父母期望壓力分別與養成良好的人格特質和心理健康呈負向關係。本文接續探討父母期望壓力是如何影響子女的人力資本。根據兒童發展經濟學文獻，親子互動和家庭環境氣氛是影響人力資本的重要管道。結果顯示，親子互動和家庭凝聚力均與人力資本呈正向關係，但父母期望壓力均與親子互動和家庭凝聚力呈負向關係。教育政策應著重降低父母期望壓力，這不僅能緩和升學壓力,也能提升親子互動品質和家庭凝聚力，從而有利於子女人力資本的累積。

We use longitudinal data from the Taiwan Youth Project (TYP) to analyze the effects of parental expectation pressure on children’s human capital, including academic performance, non-cognitive abilities, and mental health. We apply regression analysis alongside doubly robust estimation methods. The findings reveal no significant relationship between parental expectation pressure and academic performance. However, parental expectation pressure shows a significant negative relationship with the development of positive personality traits and mental health. Drawing on the literature on the economics of child development, we examine the mechanisms underlying these effects, highlighting parent-child interactions and the family environment as crucial mediators. The findings suggest that positive parent-child interactions and a supportive family atmosphere (family cohesion) positively influence human capital. However, parental expectation pressure negatively affects parent-child interactions and family cohesion. Educational policies should thus focus on reducing parental expectation pressure on children. This approach could alleviate academic and educational advancement pressures while improving the quality of parent-child interactions and the family environment, ultimately benefiting the accumulation of children’s human capital.