Birth order and Personality Environment determines to some extent the personality of a person.

In the texts “That That Elusive Birth Order and What it Means for You,” and “How Birth Order Affects Your Personality,” the authors give their interpretation on the importance of birth order in siblings. The author of the first text, Susan Whitbourne, stresses the unimportance of birth order. Conversely, Joshua Hartshorne, the author of the second text, says that birth order is significant to personality, but there just has not been enough evidence until recent studies.

Both the author and Stewart believe the timing and order of your birth defines nothing. You grow to have a self-assigned birth order, and your parents perceive the effects of your position in family to be the stereotype which causes them to treat you as such. You were handed these roles to fulfill. “If we use the assumption that perceptions count more than reality, it then becomes clear that second-borns can have much to teach their older sibs. The way they approach the task may be different, but the direction isn’t just one-way, as we might otherwise assume. . . .” (Whitbourne ll

According to Alfred Adler, the birth order of the children in a family will largely affect how they age and the personalities which they will form. First borns enter the family as the only child. They revel in the love and full attention from their parents, that is, until the second baby comes along. Suddenly, first borns are dethroned and lose the undivided attention they are used to receiving. As a result, they tend to develop a strong sense of responsibility and protectiveness over their siblings at an early age, which often leads to them becoming authoritative adults. Moreover, when there are multiple children in the family, parents will set high

Birth order is addressed as the arrangement of births of children in a family. The four most common positions used in the Birth Order Theory of Alfred Adler are: only child, first born, middle child and last born. Adler associated those birth order positions with different characteristics for each. He also explained that with every child that will be added to the family there will be an effect for each family member in terms of communication, tasks and duties. (Craighead 2001)

The first-born children are given a great amount of attention since birth because as temporary only children… they earn all the spoils (Weller, 2015). First-time parents are extra-cautious as it is their first experience with raising a child. Parents tend to be

Though, birth order illuminates a majority of our personality traits and decisions such as, career and romantic relationships. Parents get wrapped up in the ‘firstborn haze’ and overlook how much pressure they put on older siblings. By creating a pressure to be the best and ‘in control’ the older sibling takes on the leadership role and often becomes more aligned with doing better in school than younger siblings. Determination and intelligence correspond with higher level of career, and that is just what the older sibling strives for. In fact, “100% of astronauts who’ve gone into space were either eldest children or eldest sons” (State). Relationships work better if partners differ from each other and aren’t in the same birth order. The competition can be detrimental and problematic. Alfred Adler’s birth order theory provides us with useful information to reflect our decisions and explain how you think about things. By becoming aware of it we can become more familiar with ourselves and get out of the all too familiar comfort

Though there are specific temperaments and personality traits commonly found in each birthplace, it does not signify that each characteristic perfectly fits a single child or adult in that order. Many variables interfere with the general traits found in each birthplace and can easily change the personalities of that specific order. A complete change in birth order characteristics can also result from these specific interferences. Both circumstances in the outside and inside world take effect and are called the variables of birth order. These variables are very important to keep in mind while looking at this subject. Dr. Kevin Leman, an internationally renowned psychologist, and New York Times Bestselling Author, lists some of the major variables found in many children and adults in his book The Birth Order Book. The spacing of up to five years or more, gender, physical and mental disabilities or difference, deaths in the family, and also spacing will interfere and alter the personality traits found in each birth placement. This list of variables can continue on, but looking at these can provide insight to those dealing with doubts towards their specific birth order or where they may fit

If researchers hypothesis are supported and birth order affects first born children then, they will score high in Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, low in Openness to Experience, and Extraversion. Middle children score low in Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and high in Neuroticism. While youngest children will score high in Agreeableness, Neuroticism, Extraversion and low Conscientiousness. Current research will support the fact that birth order certainly plays a role as it pertains to personality and findings by Saroglou & Fiasse (2002) as well as Healy & Ellis (2006) supports the fact that parents expectations and treatment shape a child’s temperament.

Birth order can have many effects on a child’s future. Studies show a significant amount of data that proves that birth order can affect a child in more ways than previously thought. Birth order can determine what a child’s future occupation will be, how smart they will become and how responsible they are. There is a lot of evidence to prove that birth order is more than just a number, and it can have a lot of influence over children.

For almost half a century, birth order has been viewed as key in determining individual personality traits. Psychologists such as Alton Adler and Francis Galton spearheaded research on this topic, and their conclusions are cited as references for those who support the idea. There recently have been studies conducted that strive to overturn this theory by showing how different variables can affect the results of our development. (Beck) There are those who stand by early research and support distinct groups of characteristics only being exhibited by people sharing a certain birth order. There are others; however, who oppose this idea and instead favor growth as an individual experience not limited by expectations. With two very different approaches to this matter, the question remains,

Have you ever wondered if the birth order within your family has impacted the way you are? As important as the environment is for a child’s development, the order in which they were born might just be another significant factor. The dynamic of a family changes with the addition of each child. Behaviors and personalities are determined by the interactions that take place between a child, the parents, and siblings. Alfred Adler was a psychologist and theorist who was well known for his theories, putting forth the theory of birth order. Birth order is defined as a person’s rank by age among his or her siblings. Adler purposes that characteristic traits and behaviors derive from developmental issues, including birth order. It influences personality,

The distinguishing characteristic of Adler’s theory is the marked power struggle between siblings. Personality thus becomes a concept strongly influenced by a basic urge for attention and respect. At a young age, these same goals are gained from parents the struggle extends to adulthood as common relations and peers.

Although there are a number of scientists supporting for the idea of being the firstborns is beneficial and advantageous, recent studies assert that the effects of birth order no longer are significant. The children’s intelligence depends on many factors such as family size, child spacing, prenatal factors, gestational factors, not only birth order

The birth order position can have a profound effect on the character development of the child. Within the birth order position is the only child, the oldest, and the youngest. According to Adlerian Psychology, the only child makes up the majority of the patients. They are pampered and made to believe that they are the most beautiful, intelligent, and most important person on earth. It is important to teach an only child courage in order

From the perspective of modern psychology, the extent to which Adler’s theory about the order of birth is scientific is highly debatable. Many of his concepts are not measurable or manipulable, and his variable are neither physical nor behavioral. Adler did not consider measurement or an experimental approach in general as the most efficient approach to