Research Interests
Labor Economics; Economics of Education; Development Economics
Publications
1. Yiyang Luo, Songtao Yang. "Gender Peer Effects on Students’ Educational and Occupational Expectations," China Economic Review, 2023 [link].
2. Songtao Yang. "The Effects of Compulsory Schooling Reforms on Women's Marriage Outcomes---Evidence from Britain," Empirical Economics, 2022 [link]
3. Songtao Yang. “Education and Social Preferences: Quasi-Experimental Evidence from Compulsory Schooling Reforms,” Applied Economics Letters, 2021 [link]
4. Songtao Yang. "More Education, Less Prejudice Against Sexual Minorities? Evidence from Compulsory Schooling Reforms,” Applied Economics Letters, 2021 [link]
5. Songtao Yang. "Does Education Foster Trust? Evidence from Compulsory Schooling Reform in the UK," Economics of Education Review, 2019, Volume 70, Pages 48-60 [link]
6.叶聪,杨松涛,雷权勇.“养老保险对农村居民医疗服务利用的影响”,价格理论与实践,已录用(核心期刊)
7. 李琴, 杨松涛, 张同龙. 社会保障能够替代土地保障吗——基于新农保对土地租出意愿租金的影响研究[J] 经济理论与经济管理, 2019,V38(7): 61-74
Working Papers
1. The Effects of Education on Parenting Styles: Quasi-Experimental Evidence from Compulsory Schooling Reforms
Abstract: Parenting styles are important determinants of children’s cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes, but to date little is known about how education affects individuals' parenting styles. Utilizing exogenous variation in educational attainment induced by compulsory schooling reforms in 15 European countries, this study estimates the causal effect of education on parenting styles with a regression discontinuity design. Using data from all waves of the World Values Survey and the European Values Study, this study classifies individuals’ parenting styles based on their parenting values. This study finds that more education reduces individuals' probability of adopting an authoritarian parenting style. Besides, there is some evidence that more education increases women's probability of adopting an authoritative style and increases men's probability of adopting a permissive style. To explore the mechanisms, this study finds that more education increases women's labor force participation rate and increases their willingness to support children. The findings suggest that minimum schooling policies can have substantial impacts on individuals' parenting styles, which may in turn affect children development.
2. Why Do Girls Outperform Boys in Middle School? The Role of Non-cognitive Skills and Time Investment
Abstract: Using data from the 2014 China Education Panel Survey, this study investigates the gender gaps in test scores among middle school students. First, the study finds that girls outperform boys in all core subjects---math, Chinese, and English. To explore the reasons, the study finds that girls have higher levels of non-cognitive skills (motivation and self-control) and invest more time in study than boys. Moreover, using both the OLS and Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition methods, the study finds that higher levels of non-cognitive skills and more time investment give girls an advantage in test scores, but girls seem to be less efficient than boys in translating their non-cognitive skills and time investment into test scores. If girls were as efficient as boys in translating their non-cognitive skills and time investment into test scores, the gender gaps in favor of girls would be even larger.
3. "Compulsory Schooling and Teenage Fertility---Quasi-Experimental Evidence from Britain"
Abstract: This study estimates the policy effect of a reform in Britain in 1972, which raised the school leaving age from 15 to 16. This study refrains from using the reform as an instrument for women’s education, since the exclusion restriction assumption is likely violated. Using a regression discontinuity design and data from General Household
Survey 1982–2001, this study finds that the reform reduces women’s fertility by ages 18 to 20 substantially, whereas the effects on fertility by ages 16 and 17 are statistically insignificant. The findings imply that longer compulsory education can reduce the incidence of teenage pregnancy, which may be beneficial to our society.
Labor Economics; Economics of Education; Development Economics
Publications
1. Yiyang Luo, Songtao Yang. "Gender Peer Effects on Students’ Educational and Occupational Expectations," China Economic Review, 2023 [link].
2. Songtao Yang. "The Effects of Compulsory Schooling Reforms on Women's Marriage Outcomes---Evidence from Britain," Empirical Economics, 2022 [link]
3. Songtao Yang. “Education and Social Preferences: Quasi-Experimental Evidence from Compulsory Schooling Reforms,” Applied Economics Letters, 2021 [link]
4. Songtao Yang. "More Education, Less Prejudice Against Sexual Minorities? Evidence from Compulsory Schooling Reforms,” Applied Economics Letters, 2021 [link]
5. Songtao Yang. "Does Education Foster Trust? Evidence from Compulsory Schooling Reform in the UK," Economics of Education Review, 2019, Volume 70, Pages 48-60 [link]
6.叶聪,杨松涛,雷权勇.“养老保险对农村居民医疗服务利用的影响”,价格理论与实践,已录用(核心期刊)
7. 李琴, 杨松涛, 张同龙. 社会保障能够替代土地保障吗——基于新农保对土地租出意愿租金的影响研究[J] 经济理论与经济管理, 2019,V38(7): 61-74
Working Papers
1. The Effects of Education on Parenting Styles: Quasi-Experimental Evidence from Compulsory Schooling Reforms
Abstract: Parenting styles are important determinants of children’s cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes, but to date little is known about how education affects individuals' parenting styles. Utilizing exogenous variation in educational attainment induced by compulsory schooling reforms in 15 European countries, this study estimates the causal effect of education on parenting styles with a regression discontinuity design. Using data from all waves of the World Values Survey and the European Values Study, this study classifies individuals’ parenting styles based on their parenting values. This study finds that more education reduces individuals' probability of adopting an authoritarian parenting style. Besides, there is some evidence that more education increases women's probability of adopting an authoritative style and increases men's probability of adopting a permissive style. To explore the mechanisms, this study finds that more education increases women's labor force participation rate and increases their willingness to support children. The findings suggest that minimum schooling policies can have substantial impacts on individuals' parenting styles, which may in turn affect children development.
2. Why Do Girls Outperform Boys in Middle School? The Role of Non-cognitive Skills and Time Investment
Abstract: Using data from the 2014 China Education Panel Survey, this study investigates the gender gaps in test scores among middle school students. First, the study finds that girls outperform boys in all core subjects---math, Chinese, and English. To explore the reasons, the study finds that girls have higher levels of non-cognitive skills (motivation and self-control) and invest more time in study than boys. Moreover, using both the OLS and Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition methods, the study finds that higher levels of non-cognitive skills and more time investment give girls an advantage in test scores, but girls seem to be less efficient than boys in translating their non-cognitive skills and time investment into test scores. If girls were as efficient as boys in translating their non-cognitive skills and time investment into test scores, the gender gaps in favor of girls would be even larger.
3. "Compulsory Schooling and Teenage Fertility---Quasi-Experimental Evidence from Britain"
Abstract: This study estimates the policy effect of a reform in Britain in 1972, which raised the school leaving age from 15 to 16. This study refrains from using the reform as an instrument for women’s education, since the exclusion restriction assumption is likely violated. Using a regression discontinuity design and data from General Household
Survey 1982–2001, this study finds that the reform reduces women’s fertility by ages 18 to 20 substantially, whereas the effects on fertility by ages 16 and 17 are statistically insignificant. The findings imply that longer compulsory education can reduce the incidence of teenage pregnancy, which may be beneficial to our society.