Being An Only Child Can Change Brain Development
Having only one child in the family nucleus is increasingly normal. The stress of life, lack of resources or not wanting to sacrifice life too much for children makes couples make the decision that they only want one child in their lives. Therefore, it is important to know that being an only child can change brain development.
It is true that today there are many myths about only children. Some of the best known may be the following:
- They grow up being selfish.
- They will always miss having siblings.
- They are pampered.
- They become tyrants.
But the reality is that all these myths have been disproved because each child is a world and cannot be labeled just because they are only children. Each one has its own idiosyncrasy. Do not criticize them or look closely at their behavior as if they were “freaks.”
In fact, according to a study published in Science Alert , being an only child within the family nucleus can change brain development. What does this mean? That children can grow up being more creative, empower their imagination and have greater intelligence. Although they are also less kind to others.
The study that confirms that being an only child can change brain development
As we have mentioned above, the study published in Science Alert affirms that being an only child can change brain development. In fact, it was carried out by professionals from the University of China and carried out by 303 students.
Of those 303 children, 177 were only children and 126 had siblings. All were subjected to different psychological tests and also psychotechnical tests. In addition to all this, they also underwent MRI scans to better study how their brains functioned.
Most intriguing of all, no more assumptions about only children were used, nor were more myths made about them with loose data. They stopped talking about only children in made-up words or accepting baseless stories.
So it ‘s important to know what these tests found within the study. Now we will know scientifically that the brain of only children develops differently than that of those with siblings. In the next point you will be able to know better what we mean.
The revelations of the study
What did the study on brain development of only children find? You will be surprised with all the findings. In fact, do not lose detail of each data that they analyzed and that they could give as valid.
- Only children have more gray matter in the parietal lobe. This makes them have better language skills and more mental ability. They plan things better.
- They are more creative and imaginative.
- They tend to be less pleasant in relationships with other people.
- They are more dependent and have fewer social skills than children who have siblings.
When we refer to the fact that they are less pleasant, it is because they get used to the fact that all the family care revolves only around them. They are exposed to a lesser extent to other minors, since they do not live with other children (siblings). Sharing with others or daily conflict resolution due to having siblings does not develop naturally.
Research findings
The conclusions of the study are quite clear. There is a direct relationship between the family in which the child has the opportunity to grow and his brain development. Only children have a different brain structure than those children who grow up in families with siblings.
As we have mentioned above, the most notable thing is that only children are less kind than those with siblings, although they have more marked imagination and creativity. Although it was believed that they could be more intelligent, the reality is that they are not. In fact, the study did not find differences between the IQ that depends on the environment.
This can happen because by receiving more attention, and even being more overprotected by their parents or family, they become more introverted children and with fewer social skills. They were thought to be smarter because having fewer social skills developed other areas of the intellect better, but it doesn’t have to be. One thing has nothing to do with the other.
Similarly, it is recommended that children who grow up being only children in their family nuclei interact with other children frequently and constantly. In this way, children who are only children will be able to improve their social skills and learn necessary values that they cannot learn naturally due to the lack of siblings in their family.
