Understanding Favoritism
A comprehensive meta-analysis highlights that parents tend to favor daughters, especially those exhibiting conscientious traits, over sons, with both mothers and fathers showing this bias.
Factors influencing favoritism include birth order, with older siblings receiving more autonomy, and personality traits, where agreeable and responsible children are more likely to be favored.
Implications and Recommendations
Favoritism can lead to significant differences in children's mental health, academic success, and family relationships, with less favored children experiencing negative outcomes.
The study encourages parents to be mindful of their interactions to ensure all children feel loved and supported, suggesting that awareness and understanding can mitigate the impact of favoritism.