Abstract
Introduction. This paper brings new insights into the study of the sibling position of students to examine their socially important personal qualities in connection with this factor and to understand what short- and long-term individual and social consequences this may entail. This paper presents the results of a study of socially important personal qualities of students with different sibling positions, including empathy, personality orientation, altruism, life position, and the degree of adequacy of the view of life. According to these parameters, we carried out a comparative analysis of the data gathered from students – the only, the eldest, and the youngest children in the family. Methods. A sample of 150 students was randomly drawn and divided into three groups – the only children in the family, the eldest siblings, and the youngest siblings. The study used the following psychological assessment tools: (a) the questionnaire for Diagnosis of the Level of Polycommunicative Empathy Level by I. M. Yusupov, (b) the Bass Orientation Inventory, (c) Altruistic Orientation test, and (d) the Hardiness graphic technique, which assesses life positions and the degree of adequacy of views of life. Results. The findings of the study indicated that socially important personal qualities are more characteristic of students who are the only children in the family. There are more similarities than differences between first-born students who are the eldest and the only children in their families. However, students who are the only children in their families have more differences than similarities with those who are the youngest ones. In the group of students who are the youngest children in their families, the scores are lower compared to those in the other two student groups (except for altruism). Discussion. The data obtained in three student groups are interpreted and addressed to specialists in family counseling, psychotherapists, social service psychologists, curators of student groups, and inquisitive parents. The information about advantages and vulnerabilities of students’ sibling position can form a scientific basis for creating programs for the development of their socially important qualities in the educational process of the university.
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