The Effect of Birth Order on Learning and Development Birth order is a topic studied by many psychologists through numerous different studies and conflicting viewpoints. In respect to the order in which children are born, psychologists have labeled specific personality traits for each child. While psychologists continue to disagree on the amount of emphasis to be placed on birth order and personality, studies have shown family size can be a determining factor in a child’s learning and development. First-born, middle, youngest, and only children are the common birth order positions most commonly studied by psychologists. Alfred Adler, a major personality theorist, often studied the issue of birth order. He believed that “the demands of each birth order position typically, but not inevitably, structure the way the parents treat the child and help define the child’s resulting personality,” (Parker, 1998, p.29). Frank Sulloway, author of the book “Born to Rebel: Birth Order, Family Dynamics, and Creative Lives,” states: Siblings compete with one another to secure physical, emotional, and intellectual resources from parents. Depending on differences in birth order, gender, physical traits, and aspects of temperament, siblings create differing roles for themselves within the family system. These differing roles in turn lead to disparate ways of currying parental favor. (Epstein, 1997, p.51) First-born children are more widely studied and have been found to have higher responsibilities within the family and a greater need for achievement. Strong self-discipline, a need for approval by others, susceptibility to social pressure, and conformity to authority and regulation are also common personality traits of fi... ... middle of paper ... ...ldren from relatively small families tend to be more academically gifted. References Baydar, N., Hyle, P., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (1997). A Longitudinal Study of the Effects of the Birth of a Sibling During Preschool and Early Grade School Years. Journal of Marriage and the Family, (59), 957-965. Epstein, Joseph (1997). O, brother! (birth order’s effect on human behavior). Commentary, (103), 51-55. Graeber, Laurel (1997). Talking Timetable: Personality, not intelligence affects when your child will speak. Parents Magazine, (72), 90-92. Oshima-Takane, Y., Goodz, E., & Deverensky, J.L. (1996). Birth Order Effects on Early Language Development: Do Secondborn Children Learn from Overheard Speech? Child Development, (67), 621-634. Parker, Wayne D. (1998). Birth-Order Effects in the Academically Talented. Gifted Child Quarterly, (42), 29-37.
Without the results of studies done on the birth order, by people like Jeffery Kluger, the power of birth order would remain a mystery to us and we would not have as deep of an understanding of siblings. While there is still much about the workings of oldest, youngest, and middle children that we have not yet discovered, the studies conducted on birth order so far have enlightened many parents on how their children’s relationships work. However, while scientists have unraveled many mysteries about the birth order, the constant variables presented to scientists as they study the birth order does hinder the progress of their research, but there is always a hope that someday scientists will be able to completely understand the impact and function of the birth order in sibling’s
Cohn, M., & Ariyakulkan, L. (2008). The importance of the sibling relationship for children in
There are other factors that impact each sibling such as physical circumstances that include income of the parents and the residents of their community. Emotional stability plays a large part in the development of each person, examples include well adjusted parents, parental experiences and the career of the parents. For instance, what decade and country you were born in and the economy of that country also plays an important role. All of these factors can determine what type of person that child will become. In a large part, birth order and gender determine how other people in your family react and treat you. It also determines your self-image and how you react and treat others inside and outside of your family.
The experiment that I read was "Born First, Born Smarter". It was a study done by R. B. Zajonc and G. B. Markus in 1975. They planned to see why recent research had determined that the first-born child in a family related to certain characteristics. It was round that first-born children tend to be more verbally articulate, less impulsive, more active, better performers in school, more likely to go to college, and tend to have a greater need to achieve. It was also found that earlier-born children tend to score higher on tests of intelligence and aptitude than those born into the family later. One of the things researchers looked at was the different environments that a first-born and second-born enter into. The first born enters a world of just two adults. The second child's environment is significantly different because it enters a world of two adults and one young child. I believe this would have a big effect on the second child because he/she's parents will have to give attention to the first-born along with the second-born.
For every child born there is a different set of characteristics set for them. First borns tend to be the leaders of the family. They are the ones that turn out to be newscasters or presidents (Neal,1). They are well organized, scholarly, and usually perfectionists (leman,27). Also, parents tend to favor the first born over the others because of their achievements and hardworking attitude (Vowels,1). The first and second child will become complete opposites (Vowles,1) A second child is the trouble maker of the family. They feel less important than the rest of the children (Neal,1). They have strong relationships with their friends because they feel they cannot share things with their family members and are not valued in the family (kelger,). Second children help avoid conflict and keep the family members out of fights (Leman,28). They are expected to live up to the oldest which to have self esteem issues and makes it hard for them to open up to anyone (Kluger). This child has the most varied char...
As I said, I do not believe birth order has very much to do with the personality of a person. If a last child grows up penniless and has a lousy home life, he will not act like a last child who has a rich family and a marvelous suburban home. However, multiple of the things that many people said about how birth order affects the personality do describe me. The one that relates to me the greatest is definitely the fact that I am easy going. I never really let anything get too serious and I let things go once they are in the past. Also as Jocelyn Voo claims the middle child is very social, I would have to agree with her. I would rather be out with my pals having a wonderful time than be stuck at home doing nothing. Another quality that describes be excellently is the middle child takes pleasure in having a great time. If there is chance I can have good time, I will take that chance and expect for the best.
The firstborn children are more social. I have seen in absence of parents in the house the oldest child communicate with different neighbor for various reasons. For instance, when Rajiv’s parents stay outside home Rajiv serve the guests who come to their home.
Whiteman, S. D., Becerra, J. M., & Killoren, S. E. (2009). Mechanisms of sibling socialization in normative family development. New Directions For Child & Adolescent Development, 2009(126), 29-43. doi:10.1002/cd.255
Psychologists use a variety of words to describe last-borns: affectionate, sensitive, people-oriented, attention-seeking, indulged, dependent, laid-back, tenacious, absent-minded, relaxed, fun, flaky. What family relationships might be at work molding youngest children into these diverse shapes?
The firstborn child is likely to have intensified feelings of power and superiority, high anxiety, and overprotective tendencies (Feist & Feist, 2002). The firstborn children usually have a close relationship with the parents than laterborn children. The child has the experience of having his or her parents to him or herself and tends to feel like a rather important individual (Forer, 1969). For a while, these children are only children until a
Birth order affects everything from personality and character traits to future relationships and career choices. The difference in birth order combined with how parents treat their causes the children to grow and develop differently from the siblings they may or may not have (Voo, Jocelyn). Family is the greatest influence on children growing up, and in what order they were born determines how their family treats them (Leman, Kevin). There are many contributing factors that cause children to grow up and become who they are, but birth order is considered to be one of the most crucial (Gross, Dr. Gail).
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
Children see each other as competition when each sibling is born they have to find their spot in the family find their own things. “birth order reflects disparities on age, size, and power and should therefore determine the niches that siblings occupy within the family” (Julia). If there are a lot of siblings some of the children start to feel like they are being forgotten, of feel left out of things. Each new child added into the family makes a child more and more unhappy because they are getting less attention, more sibling rivalry. “changes in personality over time become more conscientious with increasing age” (Julia). Over time siblings will begin to drift apart, there may be some that they are still close to but it’s likely that many of them will just end up seeing each other on holidays or big events. Having a lot of siblings causes a lot of fights, causes a lot of them to act out trying to get more attention from their
The order that you were born within your family has a compelling impact on not only your attitudes and the kind of person you will become, but your birth order succession whether it be first, middle, or last, impacts your personality and communication style that will later influence the person you marry, the career path you choose, and how you will parent your children (Leman, 1985). Adler theorized, “that children of the same family aren’t formed in the same environment. While much is the same for all children living under the same roof, each child has a different and very individual psychological situation, because of the order of their succession” (Marie, 2014, para. 3). Adler’s theories inspired other psychologist and researchers who also concluded that not only does sibling order shape personality type, it also impacts communication styles with our parents, siblings, and outsiders, and it has an affect on our life past childhood, such as our choice in career path and life partner.
Before I had children, I did not believe that birth order could affect the personality of a person. But now I have three beautiful yet very different daughters. So different that not only is it sometimes hard to believe they come from the same two parents, it’s sometimes hard to believe they come from the same species! I have come up with three categories to describe the peculiarities of birth order, the Perfectionist, the Tornado, and the Princess, at least as they pertain to my daughters.