关键词: 主观幸福感, 孩子数量, 孩子性别结构, 生命周期, 生命历程, 年龄 － 时期 － 队列分析

Abstract: Using data from CGSS 2003 ～2013 this paper explores the dynamic relationship between parenthood which is characterized by children’s number and sex structure and parents’subjective well-being．Through the hierarchical APC model，we derive the changing trends of such relationship along the time dimension of age，period and cohort．It is found that the effect of children’s number on parents’subjective wellbeing changes with parents’age．Having more children would bring negative effect to their young or middle aged parents but significantly promote the parents’happiness at their old age．Such age-differential effect is more salient for mothers．The happiness effect of children’s number also differs among parents’cohorts．Parents who were born in the 1940s enjoy the maximum happiness return from their children，after the cohort of which the positive effect rapidly diminishes due to the birth control regulation and demographic transition．Meanwhile，the happiness effects of having son differ between urban and rural parents．While having son slightly promote the subjective well-being of ru- ral parents，it significantly decreases the well-being of urban parents after their middle ages．Finally having daughters would marginally increases their parents’wellbeing，and the effect neither changes with parents’age or cohort nor differs between rural and urban mothers and fathers．

Keywords: Subjective Well-being, Number of Children, Sex Structure of Children, Life Cycle, Life Course, APC Analysis