A Comparison Study Between the Peer Relations of Only Children and Children with Siblings

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the peer relations of only children at the primary grade level, K-2. The difference between the peer relations of only children and the peer relations of children with siblings was investigated. Teachers in a suburban Western New York school district were asked to fill out surveys for each of the only children in their classrooms and the children with siblings that the researcher randomly selected. The study was designed to determine if, on 10 items, there was a significant difference between the peer relationships of only children and children with siblings. A significant difference was found between only children and children with siblings on eight of the ten questions asked by the researcher. The results of this study reinforce previous research which has been conducted in the area of peer relations of only children.