Often the decision to have an only child is a passive one, Falbo says. An older career woman has a child rather late. Some also are making a conscious decision to have a singleton. That does not mean, she emphasizes, that an only ''is more likely to become president of the United States. This is a small factor, connected to the fact that only children tend to get more of their parents' attention.
Public opinion is slower to change than that of professionals.
My impression, as I talk to people, is that being an only child is now simply seen as an alternative. It is not better. Gannett Co. Inc. This news story is not produced by the American Psychological Association and does not necessarily represent the opinions of the association.