The Effect of Educational Expectations on Children’s Cognition and Depression

Cognitive and psychological conditions in childhood will have an important impact on adult life. There is relatively little literature on the impact of educational expectations on children’s cognition and psychological health from the perspective of urban and rural differences. Based on the cohort data of the CFPS from 2012 and 2016, this study screened a total of 994 children aged 10–15 to study the effects of parents’ educational expectations and children’s educational expectations on children’s cognition and depression. The results show that both parents’ educational expectations and children’s educational expectations have a positive impact on children’s cognition. Parents’ educational expectations and children’s educational expectations have negative effects on children’s depression. When parents’ educational expectations are greater than their children’s educational expectations, educational expectations have a negative impact on children’s cognition and a positive impact on children’s depression. In both urban and rural samples, parents’ educational expectations and children’s educational expectations have a positive impact on children’s cognition and a negative impact on children’s depression. However, the impact of educational expectations on children’s cognition and depression was greater in rural areas than in urban areas. When parents’ educational expectations are greater than their children’s educational expectations, educational expectations in urban areas have no effect on children’s cognition.