Only Children Similiar To Peers, Only Smarter
Singletons More Likely To Achieve and Go Further in Education
Only child stereotypes began back in the 1800s when G. Stanley Hall, the founder of child psychology, referred to being an only child as "a disease in itself." Today just 3 percent of Americans feel one child is the ideal number.
As Only Children Population Grows, Stereotypes Remain
Despite the stigma, only-child families are becoming increasingly more common in the United States. A generation ago only 10 percent of families had one child, a figure that has more than doubled. The trend is likely due to the rising cost of raising children and that couples now marry later in life and begin their families later.
The question is: are the only child stereotypes fact or fiction?
Psychologist Susan Newman, author of Parenting an Only Child: The Joys and Challenges of Raising Your One and Only explains that despite ingrained perceptions onlies are no different than their peers. "Many newer studies show only-children are not more aggressive, lonely, sickly, selfish or play with imaginary friends more than any other children."
Studies Prove Only Children Are Like The Rest - Only Smarter
Dr. Toni Falbo, a professor of Educational Psychology and Sociology at the University of Texas, conducted a comprehensive review of more than 100 studies involving only children. She found through her research and others, that on the whole only children are similar across key traits such as maturity, emotional stability, popularity and social skills.
Onlies do however, have some distinct advantages.
In an article by Kay Randall entitled, "Your One and Only: Educational Psychologist Dispels Myths Surrounding Only Children," Dr. Falbo explains how onlies differ from their peers. “These children tend to score slightly higher in verbal ability, go farther in school and have a little bit higher self-esteem, and a lot of this just has to do with more parent involvement and uninterrupted time with adults.” Falbo hasn't found parents of only children to be more over protective. “Rather than overindulge only children, parents may tend to push them to high achievement and have elevated expectations,” says Falbo.
Limited Parental Resources Influence Education and Achievement Advantage
Over the years researchers have developed numerous models to explain why first born and only children tend to achieve higher levels of education and achievement. Although several contributing factors exist, "parental resources" is one of the most convincing. The Resource Dilution Model proposed by Blake (1981) and expanded by Downey (2001) suggests that:
- Parental resources are finite. Parents don’t have unlimited amounts of money, personal attention and cultural objects such as books to give their children. They can decide how to use their resources, but they can’t necessarily produce more resources.
- Additional siblings reduce the share of parental resources received by any one child. Only children receive 100% of their parent’s resources. For example, parents with more than one child might only be able to send their first born (or only child) to college.
- Parental resources have an important effect on children's educational success. The intellectual richness of the environment influences cognitive development. Opportunity to achieve higher education is a variable in achievement levels.
Yet the question still remains, despite evidence to the contrary, why do negative only child stereotypes persist?
For one, centuries-old beliefs die hard. And for another, research findings that suggest a subject falls within “normal” boundaries isn’t necessarily titillating enough to shatter myths. Notes Falbo, “Conventional wisdom is wrong, and it seems that finding out kids are normal is not quite as exciting.”
Resources:
Blake, Judith. (1981). “Family size and the quality of children.” Demography, 18, 421-442.
“CHILDREN: 'Only' not necessarily lonely or deprived.” The Associated Press Sunday. The Kitsasp Sun. November 4, 2001. Retrieved: August 6, 2008.
Downey, D.B. (2001). “Number of siblings and intellectual development: The resource dilution explanation.” American Psychologist, 56(6/7), 497-504.
Esping, Amber. (Fall 2003). “Does Birth Order Affect Intelligence?” Human intelligence:Historical influences, current controversies, teaching resources. Accessed: August 5, 2008.
Randall, Kay, “Your One and Only: Educational Psychologist Dispels Myths Surrounding Only Children.” University of Texas at Austin. Accessed: August 6, 2008.
Rivas, Jorge M. “Over Half Of American Believe Two Children is Ideal Number.” Associated Content. Accessed August 6, 2008.
