Effects of Extra-curricular Music Learning on the Non-cognitive Abilities of Teenagers: An Empirical Study Based on CEPS Data

With the development of economy and the implementation of "double reduction" policy, the scale of extracurricular music learning for young people in China is getting larger and larger. Learning music can develop a healthy, confident personality and create a sense of well-being for adolescents, and affect the development of their non-cognitive abilities. Based on the CEPS data of the China Education Longitudinal Survey, the propensity score matching method (PSM) was used to explore the impact of extracurricular music learning on adolescents' non-cognitive ability. The conclusion is that participating in extracurricular music learning significantly improves the non-cognitive ability for adolescents, and boys, left-behind children and adolescents from economically disadvantaged families can benefit more. Based on this, the following suggestions are put forward: first, we should attach more importance to adolescents' non-cognitive ability should be increased, especially the cultivation of openness and extroversion. Second, the education sector should pay attention to the positive effect of music learning on the non-cognitive ability for adolescents. Finally, the cultivation of adolescents' non-cognitive abilities requires the joint efforts of parents and society.