It actually seems quite logical: Anyone who grows up with siblings learns empathy, showing consideration for others and making compromises at an early age. Social skills that everyone can use only too well for their later adult life. Apparently, only children have a harder time: They don’t have any peers in the close family group with whom they have to get along on a daily basis.
In fact, whether you grow up as an only child or a sibling has little bearing on who you are as an adult. This is the conclusion reached by researchers from the Universities of Leipzig and Zurich and the New Zealand Victoria University of Wellington. They published their study in the journal Psychological Science.
But first you are asked – what do you think:
For a long time, earlier studies, the psychologists write, assumed that brothers and sisters primarily influence so-called gender-conforming characteristics – i.e. what we define as “typically male” or “typically female”. However, such assumptions have so far been based on non-representative data sets.
In order to examine whether these previous study results have a core of truth, the research team analyzed the data of more than 80,000 adults with siblings from nine countries, including Germany and the USA, but also other socio-cultural areas such as Mexico and China. To do this, they use various national long-term studies that systematically collect information about people over decades. These include, for example, the living conditions and personality traits that were determined in person-to-person interviews.
It turned out that regardless of which country the study participants came from, personality traits such as willingness to take risks, emotional stability, conscientiousness and patience were in no way related to the sex of the siblings. “Our results refute the idea that growing up with brothers or sisters leads us to develop certain personality traits in the long term that are considered ’typically female’ or ’typically male’ in a society,” explains Dr. Julia Rohrer from the University of Leipzig in a press release.
However, they do not have a direct effect on specific personality traits. Conversely, this also means that only children have no disadvantages or advantages compared to those who grow up with brothers or sisters. Rather, it can be assumed that other factors, such as those in the social environment, the milieu in which one grows up or the upbringing of one’s parents, have a stronger influence on later personality.
“Overall, the current evidence suggests that siblings have a surprisingly small impact on personality in adulthood. For example, earlier studies by our working group here in Leipzig show that the sibling position – i.e. whether you are a firstborn or a sandwich child – does not play a major role in personality,” says Rohrer.
At the same time, based on their study results, the researchers do not rule out the possibility that the sex of the siblings could play a role in certain areas of life. Studies from the USA and Denmark, for example, would provide evidence that women with brothers often earn less from work. However, these studies have not yet been able to explain why this is the case. But one thing is certain, according to Rohrer: “The personality is probably not part of the explanation of such effects.”
To a certain extent, personality is already innate – just like intelligence. You can find out whether you inherited it from a specific parent here:
