Does Birth Order Impacts

Parents’ own birth orders and children experience can impact family dynamics, such as, firstborn parents getting into “raging battle” with a firstborn child, youngest-born parents not having high expectations on their kids or seeing their children’s abilities, biases based on their own birth positions, sticking up for the children with the same birth order, and birth order affecting the children’s personalities.

“Most people have an intuitive knowledge that birth order somehow has an impact on development, but they underestimate how far reaching and just how significant that impact is.” Birth order describes not only what order a child is born into a family but also has an effect on an individual's personality, social skills, and success in life. If you are a first born child, does that mean you are a perfectionist, tend to be a natural leader, and are more successful than your younger siblings? Does being born last make you less able to compete in life?

Almost all of us are familiar of the Birth Order theory that Alfred Adler presented almost a century ago. Adler theorized that our personalities are hugely influenced by our chronological place in the family because

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

Firstborn children in families develop a higher I.Q. than their siblings. The New York Times used a study that found that the average difference in I.Q. was three points higher in firstborn than closest sibling. Even though it is only three points it is significant according to researchers. While three points may not seem like a huge differences, experts say that “it can be a tipping point for some people- the difference between a high B average and a low A” (Carey, 2007). The results also show that it was because of family dynamics and not biological factors. In the study, analyze the data of Norwegian men born from 1967-1976 and found that firstborn had three percent higher than second child and four percent higher than third child. The

After reading “That Elusive Birth Order Effect and What it Means for You” by Susan Krauss Whitbourne and “How Birth Order Effects Your Personality” by Joshua K. Hartshorne, I have come to the conclusion that both authors view birth order differently. Whitbourne was against the idea that birth order affects a person’s life. She does not believe that myths about birth order should be accepted as fact. Hartshorne, on the other hand, was for the idea that birth order affects a person’s life.

Being the youngest child of a family cannot be easy with the constant comparison to the older siblings. Not only are firstborn siblings known for being smarter than other siblings that come along but they get a physical advantage also. Studies have shown a lot about how birth order affects the oldest and youngest sibling, but as for the middle child, they have seemed to puzzle researchers. Some researchers seem to believe the order of birth is almost as important as genetics. Researchers also go as far to say that no two children have the same set of parents due to the way parents are different with each child.

Whether you are the first-born child, middle child, youngest child, or only child, you each have individual traits that make you who you are. According to birth order research, the order at which you were born in your family determines your characteristics. I happen to be the only child. The majority of the birth order research on only children describes me, however there is one characteristic that does not accurately describe me.

Birth order is believed to influence many aspects of one’s personality. By research birth order it give an idea how I feel every day. For example me being the middle child. I feel like I'm independent, secretive, and being ignored my others and many more.

This particular type of study has been done in the past. Particularly one in Norway of children born between 1967 and 1976 stands out, however this particular study from Illinois is the largest one and clears many issues of doubt.

Birth order is nothing to take lightly. Weather being a first born child or a last born child is a prime factor in an adolescent’s maturing. Being a first born child might make you more cautious rather than a last born child may make you an attention seeking child. To few people’s knowledge, birth order determines many distinctive characteristics of an adolescent.

This investigation will study how birth order affects creativity and risky behaviour throughout developmental stages. This is an important issue as many previous studies surrounded birth have concluded birth order affects personality and lifestyle. The theory of birth order holds an importance to the study of psychology as it has also been concluded that birth order can affect behavioural choices and metal process. The purpose of this investigation is to determine whether a child is born first, second, third or last is linked to the development of the child’s personality and behavioural choices, specificity creativity and risk taking. This investigation will also examine if the roles and norms that have been placed on the status of a child

Part of what makes the examination of birth order studies so compelling to many people is that theory’s central claims can be tested

For many years, there’s been an ongoing debate as to whether birth order truly has an effect on the way we behave throughout our development. The article I’ve selected argues against the notion that these two correlate. The sample can be found at PNAS.org, otherwise known as the Proceedings of the National Academy of the United States of America. Titled, “Examining the Effects of Birth Order on Personality” three authors collectively come to this agreement that there are no lasting effects from birth order in long-term personality traits. The names of these authors are, Julia M. Roher, Boris Eglaff, and Stefan C. Schmukle. They explore previous research on the subject from various psychologists, and later decide to conduct their own research and draw conclusions thereafter.

Investigation about the birth order effects first started in the late nineteenth century. Several researchers have claimed that the relation between birth order and intelligence