Fixing Onlies Versus Advancing Multiples: Number of Children and Parents' Preferences for Educational Products.

This article investigates how the number of children in a family influences parents' preferences for educational products, distinguishing between deficit-based products (aimed at addressing children's weaknesses) and strength-based products (focused on developing children's strengths). Drawing on seven main studies—including a large-scale national survey in China, a field study, and experimental manipulations—the research finds that parents with only one child exhibit a stronger relative preference for deficit-based educational products compared to parents with multiple children. This effect is mediated by a heightened parenting prevention focus among one-child parents, reflecting their motivation to avoid potential losses or failures for their only child. Additionally, the relationship is moderated by parents' levels of negative perfectionism, with the effect diminishing among parents exhibiting high negative perfectionism. The findings have implications for marketers, educators, and policy makers in tailoring educational offerings and communications according to family size and parental regulatory focus.