Having Siblings Develops That Great Human Quality, Study Finds

Whatever our family pattern, the way we are surrounded growing up, and the education we are given, have an impact on the way we build ourselves. According to several studies, being an only child or having siblings does indeed have consequences on our personality, and even on the brain. One of them, conducted by researchers at the University of Toronto, proves that growing up with siblings would have the advantage of developing great human quality. Which ? For what reasons ? Explanations.

A study conducted on the good influence of siblings

When you grow up in a family, there is no doubt that the elders have an influence on the younger ones. According to this study, published in the journal Child Development, having siblings clearly has an impact on the development of empathy. To come to this conclusion, the scientists analyzed the data of 452 Canadian siblings, made up of 2 children aged 18 months to 4 years, as well as on the mothers, for 18 months.

Based on these many volunteers, they sought to see if the level of empathy of brothers and sisters changed over the observation period. For this, they pretended to be sad or hurt, then observed the children’s reactions. They also paid attention to the interactions in the families concerned, and the mothers filled out several questionnaires.

Having siblings plays a key role in developing empathy in children

In any kind of relationship, having empathy is essential. This quality corresponds to a genuine interest in others and their feelings. It then accompanies us throughout our lives and makes us benevolent, respectful and understanding beings. The child who develops this personality then has all the cards in hand to become an empathetic person with those close to him – sometimes even with strangers.

In the context of this study, the researchers noted that the development of empathy is particularly due to the influence of brothers and sisters, without necessarily the influence of parents being taken into account.

Often, it is believed that it is the elders who have the greatest influence on the younger ones. However, according to the researchers, the elders and the youngers influence each other with regard to the development of empathy. Elders then behave as role models for their younger ones for this quality, and vice versa. Moreover, scientists have noticed that the greater the age gap between brothers and sisters, the stronger the influence of the elders.

Another study on siblings in which there is a disability

A few years ago, Israeli researchers conducted another study on empathy, based on 1,657 families made up of twins, born between 2004 and 2005, and “whose demographic characteristics correspond to the majority Jewish population in Israel”. Among these many families, 63 of them were made up of at least one child with a disability. They then assessed the level of empathy of these volunteers, using a questionnaire.

Following this, they found that children who grew up with a disabled twin had a higher level of cognitive empathy than those who had a childhood » standard «. According to Dr Ariel Knafo-Noam, a professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, « These positive effects could be due to a better understanding of their sibling’s disability and support in the sibling relationship ». Such a family pattern can also give a sense of responsibility to the brother or sister of someone with a disability.