9 surprising facts about only children

As a doted-upon only child, I would beam with satisfaction every time my dad told people why he and my mom didn't have any more kids.

"We got it right the first time," he would say.

Of course, this fact would backfire if I ever did something dumb. Then my mom would facetiously say, "She's my smart one."

It's a common stereotype that only children are vain and selfish. But are these qualities supported by scientific research? Let's find out!

Here are 9 surprising facts that scientists have discovered about only children. A lot of the studies on this topic have been contradictory, but here are some of the findings that have held true repeatedly.

Early psychological research, which informed popular stereotypes, concluded that only children were at a disadvantage. But scientists have debunked this misguided assumption over time.

Source: Child Development Research, Journal of Individual Psychology

The idea that only children are selfish and spoiled has also been consistently disproven over the years.

Source: Journal of Individual Psychology

Only children tend to have better relationships with their parents than people who have siblings.

Source: Journal of Individual Psychology

One study found only children tend to spend more time on their homework and get better grades than kids who have two or more siblings.

Source: Child Development Research

Onlies often get higher intelligence scores as children than kids with siblings, though this gap can shrink as they get older.

Source: Journal of Individual Psychology

Only children have been found to be goal-oriented and ready to invest human capital in a problem.

Source: Psychological Bulletin

In one study, only children reported talking to themselves more than people with siblings did. The researchers concluded this was likely because they spend more time alone.

Source: Journal of Research in Personality

One study found only children tended to be both more aggressive and more victimized in elementary school, suggesting they might not be as adept at managing conflict.

Source: Journal of Social and Personal Relationships

But most only children report liking it that way, and enjoy entertaining themselves. So there.

Source: Journal of Individual Psychology