If you think of only children, the adjectives that pop out in your mind are: Spoiled, selfish, entitled, bratty and many not so nice ones. Unfortunately, when people think of only children, this is what comes up to their minds.
However, only children are not that bad. So what does it really mean to be an only child? Scientists have proven that there are some stereotypes that hold true. Apparently, being an only child affects the way a child’s brain develops.
The study has been conducted by the Southwest University in Chongqing, China. The researchers studied around 250 students, about half of whom were only-children.
The researcher scanned students’ brains while they completed tests measuring their creativity, intelligence and personality. The results are that there are neural differences between only children and children raised with siblings. So basically, only children scored higher on the tests of creativity but scored lower on agreeable personality.
Only children tend to show higher levels of intelligence and creativity and often did better in school. But they have less developed social skills.
They are selfish, dependent and socially inept. This particular study was the first to show evidence that brain function between only children and children with siblings was different. Who would have said that stereotypes were not so wrong after all.