Only children are more creative, have better mental health: study

Only children are smarter, happier and more creative than those who grow up with siblings, according to a new study.

“Contrary to the stereotypical impression of associations between [only children] and problem behaviors, we found positive correlations … with neurocognition and mental health,” researchers wrote in a report published this week in the Nature Human Behavior journal.

A team of scientists in China used methods including brain imaging, behavioral assessments and socioeconomic and childhood trauma questionnaires to evaluate a group of 7,186 people ages 18 to 30, including only children and those with siblings.

MRIs of participants’ brains were done to compare their grey and white matter, the tissues responsible thought, reasoning and helping the body process signals. They revealed that being an only child was linked to better mental health, memory and having “superior language ability,” the team found.

Other assessments done by the team, which included Jie Tang, Jing Zhang and Wei Li, found that only children showed higher “life satisfaction” and were more open and creative.

They were found to be less impulsive and reward dependent, which is linked to needing approval from others.

“More economic resources coupled with heightened parental availability, attention and responsiveness may provide a solid basis for [only children’s] intellectual competence, psychological well-being and mature social behaviors,” the researchers wrote.

These modifiable factors, as well as others like maternal care and family support, can influence most brain and behavioral outcomes for kids with or without siblings, according to the report.

Their work did not account for outside factors including interactions with cousins and classmates, which could make up for not having a sibling; and the reasons why families might have only had one child, like economic factors, infertility or late parenthood, they noted.