The Only Child in America: Prejudice versus Performance

Being an only child is popularly regarded as a handicap. During the 1970s analyses appeared showing an intellectual advantage for only children relative to those from most other family size/birth order statuses. As for whether only children are spoiled and maladjusted research by Claudy Farrell and Dayton finds strikingly positive personality and adjustment values for single children as well as clear intellectual superiority. The authors own analysis using adults of all sibsizes in the General Social Survey indicates that only children are educationally and occupationally achieving count themselves happy and satisfied with important aspects of life are not politically and socially alienated do not have disruptive family lives and are unlikely to require public assistance. Only children also prefer to have and do have smaller size families than do respondents from any other sibsize. The performance of only children belies the prejudice. (Authors) (Summaries in ENG FRE SPA)