China’s One-Child Policy Could be Proving Detrimental to Next Generation of Citizens

A team of Australian researchers has found that China’s one-child policy could be proving detrimental to the next generation of citizens after it found that children born after the policy took into effect were less trusting, less competitive and less likely to take risks compared to those from earlier generation. Researchers at Monash University conducted personality survey of over 420 people and conducted a number of economic games.

Half of those who took part were born before 1979, when the one-child policy became law and the remaining half were born after. The study has been published in the journal Science.

“We are finding that people born under the one-child policy are less risk-taking and less likely to be working in risky occupations, in self-employment or in the financial market. So in terms of implications, broadly, you may be worried about a reduction in entrepreneurial ability with people not willing to take risks and not willing to compete, you might be concerned about the lack of trust in society and trust is very important even in commercial transactions”, lead researcher Lisa Cameron said.

Source-Medindia