Do Only-Children Communicate Better Than Non-Only Children? A Study of Medical Students in China

Since the implementation of the One-Child Police in China in 1979, great concern has been raised about the physical and psychological development of "only-children." Some researchers believe that only-children may have difficulty with social skills, which include communication ability, because they would lack early sibling interactions. The aim of the present study was to explore the communication ability of only-children compared to children raised with siblings. We administered the self-developed Interpersonal Communication Ability Assessment Scale, which had been previously validated and refined, to 1,376 medical students in China. Results showed that when considering communication ability on its own, there were slight differences found between only-children and non-only-children. However, this difference was no longer significant when other independent variables were included in a hierarchical linear regression. This might be due to the fact that only-children have more highly educated parents, with more high-status careers, and greater family income that might provide greater social and educational opportunities, which might then increase communication abilities.