"Ego Identity" Status in only children compared to three patterns of adolescent With Siblings

Identity is a process that, in addition to the personality traits of individuals, many external structures, such as the family, have an effective role in formation it. The purpose of this study is to investigate the differences between only-children and sibling groups (with sister, brother and sister and brother) on four identity status (Identity achievement, Identity Moratorium, Identity Foreclosure, Identity Diffusion). The method of retrospective study (causal-comparative) and F-test of multivariate analysis of variance was used. The statistical population of this study was high school students (male and female) in Qom and 448 students were selected by multistage stratified-cluster Sampling. The data were collected with the Extended Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status( EOM-EIS). The findings showed that the mean scores of Identity achievement in the only-children group were significantly higher than any one of the groups. On the other hand, the mean scores of adolescents with sister at Identity Diffusion, adolescents with brother in Identity Foreclosure, and adolescent with sister and brother in the Identity Diffusion and Identity Foreclosure are significantly higher than only-children.

There is a significant difference between the two groups (only-children and sibling groups) in terms of identity variables. The greater need for only-children social support and their confrontation with parental expectations is an element of transition from early childhood to adolescence.