Two-stage least squares estimation.

In contemporary society, students’ cognitive abilities are crucial for the accumulation of human capital. Consequently, significant concern has been expressed regarding the impact of peer effects among friends on students’ cognitive abilities. Based on the "China Education Tracking Survey" data, we discuss peer effects among friends on students’ cognitive abilities from the perspective of Emotional Distance Analysis. Our study shows that: (1) Students’ average scores could be actively affected by the increase in the number of friends with good grades. (2) Peer effects among friends are in accord with different students. Such effects are more easily exerted among female students and those with better average grades or local household registration. (3) The mechanism study found that the conduction effect of peer effects among friends mainly relies on two paths. One is manifested as the “compliance effect”. In other words, to align with their friends, students increase their study time, raise their educational aspirations, and minimize instances of skipping classes and absenteeism. The other channel is the “anchoring effect,” which involves raising parents’ reference standards, leading them to devote more time and energy to their children’s learning. Therefore, the rational use of social interaction with friends is a vital approach to enhancing students’ cognitive abilities.

在当代社会，学生的认知能力对于人力资本积累至关重要。据此，社会各界已对朋友间的同伴效应（peer effects）对学生认知能力的影响表达了高度关切。本研究基于中国教育追踪调查（China Education Tracking Survey）数据，从情感距离分析（Emotional Distance Analysis）视角探讨朋友间同伴效应对学生认知能力的作用。研究结果显示：(1) 高分好友数量的增加可对学生的平均成绩产生积极影响；(2) 朋友间的同伴效应存在个体差异，该效应在女生、平均成绩更优异者以及拥有本地户籍的学生群体中更易发挥作用；(3) 机制分析发现，朋友间同伴效应的传导主要依赖两条路径：其一表现为"依从效应（compliance effect）"，即学生为贴合好友的学习状态，增加学习时长、提升教育期望，并减少旷课与逃学行为；其二为"锚定效应（anchoring effect）"，即通过提高家长的参照标准，促使家长投入更多时间与精力关注子女的学习。因此，合理利用好友间的社会互动，是提升学生认知能力的重要路径。