The Only Child: Is There Only One Kind of Only?

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Abstract
For several decades, research and theory have negatively portrayed only children. On the other hand, a newer strand of research and theory view the only child as advantaged or not differing from children with siblings. Our research attempts to account for these inconsistencies by recognizing that only children do not form a homogeneous category. In this study, inverse factor analysis yielded three distinct “types” of female only children, using longitudinal personality data from the archives of the University of California, Berkeley. Type 1 was labeled “normal, well-adjusted,” Type 2 was labeled “impulsive, acting out,” and Type 3 was labeled “first-bornish.” These three types remain consistent over the life span from early adolescence to late middle age and accounted for approximately 63% of the total variance. The analysis for male only children from the same data set yielded similar results. Types 1 and 2 males were much the same as Types 1 and 2 females, although the profile of Type 3 was less consistent over time. Again, the types prevailed over the life span and accounted for 64% of the variance. The results indicate that only children are not a homogeneous category; there appear to be three distinct subcategories or types of only children.
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