Birth Order Controversy

We have often heard said phrases such as, "Well, she's the oldest, so she’s very responsible," or "He's the baby of the family, and he gets everything he wants" or "Poor girl. She's the middle child; she doesn't get enough attention." Such claims are commonplace in our society, but what do they truly imply? Are these claims brought on by the personality types that are typically developed in children due to their position in the birth order? Or do the personality traits that our culture associates with certain positions in birth order manifest themselves in children who hold these positions as a result of the claims themselves? Such are the questions considered in the controversy of the role of birth order in the development of personality.

Due to myriad tests, surveys, and experiments conducted over the past 150 years (Eckstein & Kaufman, 61), it has been found that children of particular positions in the birth order tend to hold particular personality traits. According to the findings of Dr. Daniel Eckstein and Dr. Jason A. Kaufman, oldest children are most likely to be high achievers who thrive academically, have high motivation, and take on leadership roles both as children and as adults (72). Middle children are often the most friendly and outgoing, as well as the most well-behaved. However, they also typically feel the most out of place in their families and tend to primarily search for success in areas in which their older siblings are not active (Eckstein & Kaufman, 72). Youngest children are typically the most artistic, empathetic, and agreeable among their siblings, though they are also the most likely to rebel, develop addictions, and suffer from mental illness (Eckstein & Kaufman, 73). Only children are often the most independent, most likely to attend college, and feel the greatest need for success, though they also tend to be the most selfish and behaviorally deviant (Eckstein & Kaufman, 72). While there are, of course, many exceptions to these stereotypes, these personality summaries have been shown-- with a wealth of scientifically-based evidence to support them-- to be the most typical for their

There are many who argue that birth order does not determine personality, but rather that society's expectations for and claims about positions in the birth order bring about the personality types expected. In other words, these experts view the birth-order-personality correlation as a self-fulfilling prophecy. If an only child grows up hearing from adults and peers that only children are selfish, that child is more likely to develop a selfish personality to meet the societal expectation. A middle child who is often faced with comparisons to older siblings, hearing sentiments such as, "You'll be as good a baseball player as your brother someday," or "Your older sister was a joy to have in class; you have some big shoes to fill" will naturally become more apt to seek out success in areas in which their older sibling is not involved (Eckstein & Kaufman, 62). These personality traits, then, are not the result of the birth order itself, but of the societal expectations for the positions of the birth order. In support of this view, social psychologist Robert Zajonc said, "Belief within a culture that such personal attributes as intelligence, leadership, initiative... are positively associated with birth rank, then social practices and institutions will tend to confirm and reinforce such belief" (as cited by Eckstein & Kaufman, 69). This explanation is supported by the same empirical findings of the opposing view because the