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Literature review on effects of birth order on personality
Introduction about birth order
Literature review on effects of birth order on personality
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It may surprise you to learn that the order in which you were born can have a major effect on your personality. Recent studies have shown that whether you were the oldest, middle, youngest or even the only child in your family can greatly influence how you see the world, how you expect the world to treat you, how you treat others and also how others see and treat you. Psychologist Alfred Adler was one of the first to theorize the importance of birth order in determining personality characteristics (Friedman & Schustack, 2012). Some researchers believe birth order is as important as gender and almost as important as genetics in its effect on personality (Gross, 2013). The oldest child is frequently a perfectionist, the middle child often feels forgotten, and the youngest seeks attention as the baby of the family. As a result, birth order is a powerful variable in the unfolding of your personality (Gross, 2013). The oldest child has all of their parents’ attention until the next sibling is born. The parents may be more controlling and protective of this child, while also making the most mistakes. They tend to expect more from the oldest than from any of their other children. First born children are often expected to “set a good example” for their younger siblings and to help their parents take care of the younger children. All of this tends to make the oldest very responsible, perfectionistic, and nurturing. They are also more likely to be seen as “natural born leaders” and to seek out careers which require strong leadership skills such as CEOs, politicians, and astronauts. More than half of all US presidents were first born children while twenty one out of twenty three of America’s first astronauts were also first born children (S... ... middle of paper ... ... tends to be more like an only child and exemplifies those qualities. It is very interesting to think that something that we have no control over, like the order in which we were born, could have such a tremendous effect on our personality. Works Cited Friedman, H. S., & Schustack, M. W. (2012). Personality: Classic Theories and Modern Research (5th ed.). Boston, MA, US: Pearson. Retrieved May 7, 2014 Gross, D. G. (2013, December 23). The Achiever, the Peacemaker and the Life of the Party: How Birth Order Affects Personality. Retrieved May 7, 2014, from The Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-gail-gross/how-birth-order-affects-personality_b_4494385.html Smith, E. E. (2013, February 13). Taking the Birth Order Quiz. Retrieved May 7, 2014, from Psychology Today: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/not-born-yesterday/201302/taking-the-birth-order-quiz
...n individual. The result can also be the same, though there is a variability among personalities. Both Kohlberg and Erikson have strong theories about how personalities are formed in early ages with direct focus on the parents.
‘Birth order theory can help explain why children raised in the same family environment with a strong genetic relationship can have such different personalities’ (Drysdale, 2011). The birth order theory says that ‘first-borns are leaders, the drivers and the responsible type. They love to feel in control and feel uncomfortable with surprises or feeling out of their depth. They are conservative in their outlook’ (Grose, 2013). The personality theory says that last-borns are majorly different to first-borns in their characteristics and traits. It states that last-borns are ‘the
Adler’s birth order rings true for many people. As I was reading over the different birth orders, I started thinking of different family members and friends. I wanted to see how they measured up to Adler’s concept of birth order. I found myself stereotyping my friends and family, which is hard
Does birth order really affect who we are? Sigmund Freud was the first psychotherapist to say, " a child's position in the sequence of brother and sisters is of very great significance for one course of his later life." The type of person that we become stems from many things including birth order position, gender and the genders of the other siblings. Although personality is affected by many different factors, such as heredity, family size, the spacing and the gender of other siblings, education and upbringing, birth order plays a very important role and gives many clues as to why people are the was they are. Dr. Alfred Adler, a renowned psychiatrist, wrote that a person's position in the family leaves an undeniable "stamp" on his or her "style of living."
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