Analysis of differences in adolescent personality with number of siblings: In four social classes of families of G.B.P.U.A.T., Uttarakhand, India

Pages: 17-20
Arti Kumari, Ritu Singh, Manisha Mehra, and Amit Kr. Mishra (Department of Human Development and Family Studies, College of Home Science, G.B.P.U.A.T., Pantnagar, Uttarakhand)

The present study examined differences in the personality of adolescents across their number of siblings. The adolescents for the present study were drawn from four different social classes (Class I, Class II, Class III, & Class IV) of families working in G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand. Families falling under social class I of the university had parent(s) working as Professor and Associate Professor in the university; those falling under social class II had parent(s) working as Assistant Professor or equivalent and Doctor in the university; those falling under social class III had parent(s) working as Accountant, Supervisor, Lab Technician and Clerk in the university and those falling under social class IV had parent(s) working as Attendant, Driver, Peon, CRC laborer, Gardner and Sweeper. Forty adolescents were randomly selected as respondents from each social class of families making a total of 160 respondents for the present study. Multi-Dimensional Assessment of Personality Scale was administered to adolescents to assess their personality. The study revealed that be it any family social class, adolescents’ personality differs significantly with the number of siblings they have. Adolescents with one or no sibling, irrespective of their family social class, were seen to have significantly higher academic achievement, leadership, enthusiasm, excitability, general ability, guilt proneness, individualism, innovation, maturity, mental health, morality, self control, self sufficiency, sensitivity, social warmth and tension in comparison adolescents having more siblings. Whereas, adolescents with two or more number of siblings exhibited significantly higher adaptability and competition than adolescents with one or no sibling.