Only children get a lot of flak. According to conventional wisdom, they’re antisocial, anti-sharing and not very good at playing well with others—but at the same time, they may be a little savvier, compared to those with siblings. A new study suggests that to some degree, these conventions are true. Only children didn’t score as well as participants with siblings in the personality trait known as “agreeableness.” But they did do better in flexibility, which is thought to be a marker of creativity.
