Little Emperors: Behavioral Impacts of China's One-Child Policy
Abstract
Assessing Singletons: The one-child policy introduced by the government of China in 1979 increased the proportion of urban families with an only child; later referred to as "little emperors" in media reports. In 2010, Cameron et al. (p. 953 , published online 10 January) recruited approximately 400 residents of Beijing who had been born either before the implementation of the policy (1975 and 1978) or after (1980 and 1983). Using economic games to measure trust, risk, and willingness to compete, they found that the post-1979 cohorts were less trusting and less willing to compete and also more risk averse.
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Even when studies identified certain differences in cognitive abilities, such differences were found early in life and diminish quickly.
“Even when studies were able to identify certain differences in cognitive abilities, such differences were found early in life and diminish quickly (Cameron et al. 2013).”
From The Social and Sociological Consequences of China's One-Child Policy (2021) · cites this paper as Cameron et al. 2013
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References 54 · Cited by 392
- Authors
- Cameron, L., Erkal, N., Gangadharan, L., & Meng, X.
- Affiliations
- Monash University (AU)
- The University of Melbourne (AU)
- Australian National University (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Cameron, L.
- Venue
- Science
- Published
- 2013-02-22
- Volume
- 339
- Issue
- 6122
- Pages
- 953-957
- ISSN
- 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
- 1095-9203
- OpenAlex
- W2164757154
- Cited by
- 392
- References
- 54
- Citations by year
- 2026: 31 · 2025: 34 · 2024: 29 · 2023: 29 · 2022: 42 · 2021: 41 · 2020: 28 · 2019: 25 · 2018: 31 · 2017: 25 · 2016: 28 · 2015: 19 · 2014: 21 · 2013: 9
- FWCI
- 60.76
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- ANU Open Research (Australian National University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Demographic Trends and Gender Preferences
- Social Sciences › Safety Research › Experimental Behavioral Economics Studies
- Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › China's Socioeconomic Reforms and Governance
- Keywords
- one-child policy, only children, population policy, personality traits, trust, risk aversion, competitiveness, pessimism, conscientiousness, behavioral effects, China
- MeSH terms
- Neuroticism, Adult, Altruism, Anxiety Disorders, Attitude, Behavior, China, Competitive Behavior, Family, Female, Games, Experimental, Humans, Male, Only Child, Personality, Risk-Taking, Urban Population, Family Planning Policy, Trust
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