Article from WeChat public account:Translated (ID:yeeyancom), title map from: Visual China
The size of ordinary British families is getting smaller and smaller, even the Dukes and Duchess of Sussex say that to protect the planet, they only have two children at most. According to the latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics, families of only children are becoming more common. More than 40% of UK households have only one child, and the proportion of cohabiting and single-parent families is even higher. In the United States, the proportion of parents with only one child has jumped from 11% in 1976 to 22% in 2015.
However, it is fair to say that as an only child, there are still some stigma. It is generally misunderstood that the only child is selfish and harsh, and does not know how to share. Those who have siblings are considered to have learned these social skills by default. of.
These ideas date back to 1896, when the respected child psychologist Granville Stanley Hall (Granville Stanley Hall)< /span> announced that “the only child is a disease in itself.” Although Hall was considered to be a good psychologist at the time, his scientific theory seemed to have some problems today, and the truth of his story is debatable.
This week, a study in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior found that only children are more likely to be obese than children with siblings. The researchers recorded the diet diary of 62 American mothers to understand the family’s eating habits, while the teacher was responsible for recording the child’s diet at school.
The study found that families with multiple children tend to spend more time planning family meals and less time to eat out, both of which help to keep fit. In general, 37% of the only children are obese, while children with siblings have only 5% obesity. Admittedly, this is a relatively small sample size study, and the results seem to be more due to the high cost of raising multiple children, rather than any specific developmental issues related to the only child.
However, this is not the only study investigating the health effects of only children. A study conducted by scientists at Peking University in 2016 found that the brain structure of only children is slightly different from that of siblings. Especially in terms of gray matter volume. This study does not prove that the only child and the child with siblings are intellectually different, but it does indicate that the only child performs better in the flexibility test and scores lower in affinity. Physiologically, only the brains of only children show a greater excess volume (the area related to language processing in the brain), while the inside Prefrontal cortex (area focused on mood regulation and social behavior) is smaller.
However, another study found that only children are more likely to be narcissistic than children with siblings. In the West, most of the research on only children is conducted by Toni Farbo, a professor of educational psychology at the University of Texas. An early commentary by Farber in 1979 found that only children with siblings have the same strong adaptability. They perform better, are more motivated, have more self-esteem, and are more socially talented. In terms of intelligence and achievement, the only child performs better on these indicators, and this is no different from the performance of the first child in the extended family.
A longitudinal study of children between the ages of 10 and 12 in Germany found that only children have a better relationship with their parents. A quarter of people think that they have a good relationship with their parents, and less than 24%, 20%, and 18% of the people in the family think that they have a good relationship with their parents. The researchers found that this is because the only child is more inclined to talk about important things with their parents.
How do children with siblings be affected? Studies have shown that eldest sons have longer education and higher incomes; each brother and sister’s IQ will also decline, while younger siblings will think they are not smart enough; sisters with sisters are also more likely to be overweight or Obesity; the more men’s brothers, the more likely they are to be gay. (this is called the brother birth order effect).
However, some research on only children may be contradictory. For example, a study by the Ontario Mental Health Foundation found that only children are more likely to obey because parents are too protective for them; a study by Chiang Mai Medical School found that only children are more ambitious, more confident, and smarter. More independent. Similarly, a large-scale study by the National Geriatrics Research Center, the National Institute of Geriatrics, and the National Institutes of Health found that only children have no effect on personality or intelligence.
So, where is the real answer? The brother and sister researcher Ivyden Mirwiski once said: Usually the researchers who are the only children are those who support the only child, while those who have brothers and sisters think that the only child is at a disadvantage. There may be some bias in the discipline. In general, the only child does not seem to have any effect on health, but it is related to the way the child grows.
Article from WeChat public account:Translated (ID:yeeyancom)