Mental Health Problems Associated with the Only Child

Howe, Margaret G.; Madgett, Maribeth E.

doi:10.1177/070674377502000303

Cited by 20 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…These stereotypes are supported by some evidence. Research suggests that only children are less social (Claudy 1984) and less able to make friends (Miller and Maruyama 1976), more likely to suffer mental distress (Belmont 1977;Howe and Madgett 1975), and more self-centered and less cooperative (Jiao, Ji, and Jing 1986;Thompson 1974). On other dimensions, especially those relating to socioeconomic status, singletons perform well (Blake 1981).…”

Section: Ideal and Intended Family Size In The United Statesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intended and Ideal Family Size in the United States, 1970–2002

Hagewen

Morgan

2005

Population & Development Rev

190

155

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How do contemporary fertility ideals, desires, and intentions relate to contemporary low fertility? At the empirical level the answer is straightforward: observed fertility is well below the levels of ideal family size and also usually well below respondents' desires and intentions. In fact, below-replacement fertility in many countries would disappear if respondents' fertility intentions were realized (Bongaarts 2001(Bongaarts , 2002Goldstein, Lutz, and Testa 2003).At the conceptual level, all behavioral models of contemporary low fertility feature choice: individuals choose to have children (Thomson and Brandreth 1995). Thus fertility intentions, if not ideals, hold the promise that actual fertility could mirror intentions over the long run, thus bringing observed fertility closer to replacement. Consistent with this view, Bongaarts (2002) argues that a substantial part of the discrepancy between aggregate fertility intentions and contemporary fertility levels can be accounted for by timing shifts, specifically the postponement of childbearing to later ages. Once this postponement abates, as it eventually must, 1 intentions and current behavior will be more similar. In addition, frustrated demand for children could encourage institutional adjustments that would allow childbearing to correspond to levels desired by women and couples, again raising fertility to levels that approximate intentions.Expressing an alternative view, Goldstein, Lutz, and Testa (2003) report that Germanspeaking areas of Europe now show levels of ideal and expected family size well below replacement levels (i.e., less than two children per woman), a pattern they suggest portends a permanent shift to sub-replacement fertility. They argue that the previous disjuncture between intentions and behavior in German-speaking counties, now evident in many other countries as well, represents "cultural lag." Specifically, women and couples act in accordance with contemporary antinatalist constraints and have few children, but continue for a period (a time lag) to express the prevailing cultural imperatives to be parents and to have at least two children. Younger cohorts, once they have lived much of their lives in a low-fertility setting, adopt the status quo as an expectation and thus express intentions (and ideals) that more closely correspond to contemporary behavior. Goldstein et al. (2003) hypothesize that fertility intentions and ideals in Italy, Spain, and elsewhere will soon decline further, creating greater symmetry between subreplacement fertility and subreplacement ideals and expectations. The suggestion that aggregate shifts in intentions can follow rather than precede behavioral shifts is not new (see Lee 1980;Westoff and Ryder 1977;Morgan 1981Morgan , 1982.Finally, Demeny (2003) argues that a wide gap between expressed preferences and behavior can persist indefinitely. Even if such preferences for a particular number of children are Direct all correspondence to S. Philip Morgan, Department of Sociology and Center for Demographic Studie...

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Section: Ideal and Intended Family Size In The United Statesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intended and Ideal Family Size in the United States, 1970–2002

Hagewen

Morgan

2005

Population & Development Rev

190

155

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“…This literature provides examples of the only child's behavior problems and personality difficulties (Blake, 1974;Jiao, Ji, & Jing, 1986;Petzhold, 1988;Rosenberg & Falk, 1989;Rosenberg & Leino, 1987;Thompson, 1974;Westoff, 1978). These and other studies attested to the only child's lack of sociability (Claudy, 1984), greater than expected incidence of mental health problems (Belmont, 1977;Howe & Madgett, 1975;Makihara, Nagoya, & Nakajima, 1988), persistent egocentrism and uncooperativeness (Jiao, Ji, & Jing, 1986), negative social behaviors (Petzhold, 1988;Thompson, 1974), and lack of friends (Graham-Bermann & Gest, 1991;Miller & Maruyama, 1976).…”

mentioning

confidence: 92%

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

Rosenberg

Hyde

1993

The Journal of Genetic Psychology

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“…Thus, Claudy (1984) showed that only child tended to have a lack of sociability. Howe and Madgett (1975) and Makihara et al (1998) found higher chance of mental health problems for only child. Jiao et al (1986) confirmed only child tended to be egocentric and uncooperative.…”

mentioning

confidence: 94%

Life Satisfaction, Perceived Health, Violent and Altruistic Behaviour of Hong Kong Chinese Adolescents: Only Children Versus Children with Siblings

Kwan

2009

Child Ind Res

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In China, with one-child family being the predominant form, the psychosocial study of only child is particularly important. In a random sample of 4502 Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong, controlling the underlying socio-demographic variables like gender, age, level of study, economic well-being, family structure, and migrant status, we found very distinctive differences in psycho-behavioural characteristics between only children and children with siblings. In compliance to previous research, relative to their counterparts with siblings, the only children had similar level of mental health and high satisfaction in academic performance. In many areas not covered in the literature, the only children outperformed. They had health advantages in three areas, overall health, physical health, and activity limitation. In life satisfaction, they also had higher levels in overall life and most specific life domains. They had less participation in violent behaviour like fighting, self-injury, and suicide, and higher involvement in making donation to benevolent organizations.

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Mental Health Problems Associated with the Only Child

Cited by 20 publications

References 7 publications

Intended and Ideal Family Size in the United States, 1970–2002

Intended and Ideal Family Size in the United States, 1970–2002

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

Life Satisfaction, Perceived Health, Violent and Altruistic Behaviour of Hong Kong Chinese Adolescents: Only Children Versus Children with Siblings

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