Key Facts

• Psychotherapist Silvia Dutchevici said only children may be used to independence and adult company, and may carry their parents’ expectations without siblings to share them.
• Couples therapist Kristine Anthis said partners should discuss how much time together and alone each wants, regardless of whether they grew up with siblings.
• The experts said evidence does not support stereotypes that only children are inherently selfish, spoiled, or socially awkward.
• Research reviews by psychologist Toni Falbo found only children generally perform as well as children with siblings on measures of social adjustment and interpersonal relationships.
• A 2016 Ohio State University study analyzed survey data from about 57,000 U.S. adults collected from 1972 to 2012.
• The study found that each additional sibling was associated with about a 3 percent lower likelihood of divorce among people who had ever married, after accounting for several background factors.
• The study’s reported association leveled off at around seven siblings, and the difference between only children and people with one or two siblings was relatively small.