The Impact of Sibling Presence on the Development of Empathy in Only Children Living in Urban Areas
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35335/psychologia.v4i1.79Keywords:
Empathy Development, Only Children, Sibling Presence, Urban Childhood, Social-Emotional LearningAbstract
This study explores the impact of sibling presence on the development of empathy in only children living in urban areas. Empathy, a crucial component of emotional intelligence, is commonly believed to be influenced by sibling interactions through daily emotional exchanges and perspective-taking. However, the growing prevalence of only-child families in urban settings raises questions about how the absence of siblings affects empathy development. Using a quantitative cross-sectional design, this research involved 100 urban children aged 10–15, equally divided between only children and those with siblings. Data were collected through the Basic Empathy Scale and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results revealed that children with siblings scored significantly higher in emotional empathy, while cognitive empathy levels showed no substantial difference between the two groups. Additionally, peer interaction and parental involvement were positively correlated with empathy in only children, indicating that external social environments can compensate for the absence of sibling relationships. The study concludes that while siblings can enhance emotional empathy, only children are not inherently disadvantaged when supported by rich social experiences. The findings offer important implications for parenting practices, educational strategies, and social policy aimed at fostering emotional development in diverse family structures.
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