A Comparative Study of Only Children and Sibling Children in the People's Republic of China

Abstract

As a result of China's one-child-per-family policy, concern has been expressed in China regarding the effect of that policy on children. One hundred and sixty-four children, aged 11-13 years, in the same grade in an elementary school in Guangzhou, China, completed the Self-Perception Profile for Children. Sociometric measures were also completed by the children and their teachers. Of the 164 children, 51 were from one-child families, while 113 had siblings. No significant differences were found on the six subscales of the Self-Perception Profile. Gender effects were noted, however. Student and teacher evaluations on the sociometric measures tended to favor the only children. The results of the study provide no support for existing stereotypes concerning only-children, one-child families in China.

Separatedness and Connectedness in the Parent-Adolescent Relationship as Predictors of Adolescent Self-Esteem in US and Chinese Samples

“…For East-Asian parents, signs that their offspring are doing well (i.e., social competence) include getting along with others (i.e., group harmony), conforming to the group (i.e., family and society), and being well behaved (Lam, 1997;Meredith, Abbott, & Zhu, 1989). Children and adolescents from East-Asian cultures such as China are expected to conform to socialistic ideology, become self-sacrificing, and respect collectivistic or group decisions (Wei, 1983).…”

A Revolution in Family Life: The Political and Social Structural Impact of China's One Child Policy

“…Much of the Western literature has depicted the only child as self-centered, limit testing, low on tension binding, impulsive, and maladjusted (Blake, 1981;Rosenberg & Falk, 1989;Rosenberg & Leino, 1987; Thompson, 1974). The only child has been viewed as less affiliative (Miller & Maruyama, 1976), more likely to be diagnosed as psychologically maladjusted (Belmont, 1977), and generally regarded negatively by Americans (Blake, 1974). Indeed, Leichtmann (1985) has emphasized the critical role that a sibling plays in the normal acquisition of a child's identity through the older sibling as a role model and teacher for the younger sibling.…”

“…Despite the wealth of evidence in past studies that being an only child is accompanied by undesirable outcomes for the child, the past decade has witnessed a weakening of this conviction (Falbo & Polit, 1986;Mao, 1984;Meredith, Abbott, & Lu, 1989;Poston & Yu, 1986). Indeed, some recent evidence has suggested an advantage for only children in certain cognitive, emotional, and physical domains.…”

The Only Child: Is There Only One Kind of Only?

“…The past decade has witnessed a weakening of the conviction that sibling absence is accompanied by dysfunctional behavior (Falbo & Polit, 1986;Mao, 1984;Meredith, Abbott, & Lu, 1989;Poston & Yu, 1985). A number of recent studies yield evidence indicating either an advantage for the only child in cognitive, social, and emotional realms, or no significant differences between first-born children with or without siblings.…”

“…Several studies now provide evidence of the positive aspects of being an only child (Belmont & Marolla, 1973;Claudy, 1984;Falbo, 1984;Kammeyer, 1967;Meredith, Abbott, & Lu, 1989;Poston & Yu, 1985;Watson & Biderman, 1989). In particular, Falbo and Polit's (1986) meta-analysis of some 100 studies comparing only children with children with siblings on measures of intelligence, personality, sociability, achievement, and adjustment concluded that onlies have more desirable personality traits.…”