A Study Shows That Only Children Are More Creative
According to an article published in the journal Brain Imaging and Behavior, the brains of only children are different from that of people who grow up with siblings. But is it really so? Are only children more creative ? The article states that only children have the most developed area of the brain dedicated to language, but that relating to the regulation of emotions is less advanced.
A group of researchers from the University of Southwest Chongqing in China analyzed 303 young Chinese people: 126 only children and 177 with siblings. Both groups underwent tests that measure intelligence, creativity and personality. The scientists also analyzed the brain shape of the study participants through the images provided by MRI scans.
After analyzing the results, the researchers concluded that the brains of the only children have an underdeveloped area and an underdeveloped one.
This is mainly due to the fact that the familiar environments in which individuals grow up influence the development of the brain structure and condition the personality. Let’s see together if only children are more creative.
Only children are more creative
The researchers found no differences in IQ, but concluded that only children have a greater amount of gray matter in the area associated with language, flexibility, imagination and planning.
This occurs largely due to the attention paid to them by their parents. This would mean that to some extent the creativity developed by children depends on the expectations and attention that their fathers and mothers give them.
– Louis Pasteur –
Similarly, the study shows that the only children analyzed have less gray matter in the middle frontal cortex, an area of the brain that is associated with the regulation of emotions. So they were less kind to other children.
Chinese researchers said these characteristics could suggest that it is the lonely social environment that generates these differences. This is also related to the low levels of empathy recorded in other tests.
In turn, the reason why only children are perceived as less kind may be the result of excessive attention from fathers, mothers, and the rest of the family. In these cases, children tend to be less exposed to external social groups and focus more on solitary activities.
This causes, according to the published article, the appearance of “undesirable personality traits”, such as addiction, lack of kindness, selfishness and social incapacity.
Are only children less kind?
“Due to the absence of siblings, only children typically miss out on important opportunities in social relationships because they do not develop psychosocial skills or emotional support, ” say the experts.
It is worth noting that the above study is a small sample, conducted in China and where only children were analyzed. New variables could arise in other studies and with different age groups. So the study also has its limitations and potential biases.
However, this is the first time that a study has analyzed the brain structure of only children. The antecedents consist of behavioral investigations that show results close to the conclusions of Chinese research.
An analysis of 115 scientific studies conducted since 1986 showed that only children performed better on tests of intelligence, character and relationships with parents than children who grow up with siblings.
Stubborn personality
Only children are usually very stubborn because they are used to seeking their own interest and can often be very possessive. They can also be very strict about their privacy and their time, as they are not used to sharing it with someone else.
However, the personality varies according to the child’s living conditions: the family environment shapes the child’s personality in a very invasive way.
Another personality trait of only children is that they tend to be very mature for their age. This is a characteristic due to the environment, as having no siblings, they seek the company of their parents or other adults. Since they are the only references they have, they tend to confront them.
Only children tend to pretend to be much older for their age and many of them may even become the typical know-it-all.
