Birth Order and Personality: What Psychology Research Shows

Introduction to Birth Order Research

In previous years, a considerable amount of research has been conducted on the subject of birth order and personality. However, research on this topic has declined over at least the last ten to twenty years. It is the common perception that firstborn children have the strongest disposition and exhibit leadership tendencies. Research also tends to point out that firstborn children usually achieve greater success in their professional careers. At the same time, these individuals are also more likely to experience greater mental disturbances than their younger siblings (Nyman). There are conflicting results regarding the popularity of firstborns: some researchers contend that firstborn children are generally more popular and outgoing, while others argue that firstborns are less popular and perhaps more reserved (Nyman).

Children classified as middle children are said to be more problematic than their older and younger siblings. They have been described as more aggressive than other children. A study of university students conducted in 1977 found that these students "scored high on aggression" (Nyman). However, another study contradicts this finding by stating that middle children have fewer problems. That study, conducted by Kuar and Deer in 1982, "showed that middle children have the fewest personality problems." It should be noted, however, that the way children behave can be directly attributed to the way they are expected to behave. For example, if the eldest child is expected to be a leader, he or she will most likely fulfill that expectation. The same holds true for the middle child or the lastborn.

Since the middle child is often expected to be poorly adjusted in society, that child is very likely to encounter problems with adjustment. The lastborn sibling is often seen as the "baby" of the family and is treated accordingly.

It is also interesting to note that children of African-American descent did not display any differences in character that could be attributed to their birth order. In fact, it has been questioned whether birth order plays any role at all in shaping the personalities of African-American college students.

Personality Traits by Birth Position

In one study involving 139 undergraduate students in New York, participants were asked to write down words to describe siblings or people they know of a particular birth order. The students' average age was 24 (Nyman). Very few of the words used could be considered neutral. Some carried positive connotations, while others carried negative ones; moreover, some words that were positive for certain respondents were negative for others (Nyman).

The oldest child was most commonly characterized as aggressive, dominant, independent, intelligent, ambitious, responsible, caring, and friendly (Nyman). The oldest child was most often at the center of attention in the household and carried the most responsibility. Parents frequently assign the oldest child the task of watching over younger siblings or taking on the bulk of household chores. As a result, the older child is expected to be more responsible than his or her siblings and must live up to that expectation. Because the child is given responsibility — sometimes at a young age — he or she becomes more accustomed to handling it. However, the eldest sibling is also sometimes seen as self-centered or even spoiled, particularly among women.

The middle child was described as thoughtful and responsible. In fact, the middle child often shared many of the same attributes as the eldest child in the study. Male middle children were described as open-minded, while female middle children were described as intelligent. Contrary to popular belief, the middle child was seen as more well-adjusted than other siblings. In this study, the middle child was not perceived as spoiled or self-centered (Nyman). Females were thought to be highly independent, whereas opinions were split as to whether males were independent or dependent. The middle child is widely perceived as an unsung hero — one who does not receive adequate attention and is therefore often overlooked within the family unit (Nyman).

The youngest child was characterized as spoiled, dependent, and irresponsible (Nyman). Youngest children were also described as insecure. Women who were the youngest were said to be passive, while males were most often perceived as the lazy member of the family. These perceptions align with the common view of the youngest child as one who has been nurtured more than other siblings and is also seen as the family "favorite."

The Youngest Child and Authority Challenges

Research has also found that lastborn siblings are more likely to present challenging behaviors toward authority figures. A study conducted by Richard Zweigenhaft and Jessica Von Ammon of a university psychology department examined behavior among a group of college students who participated in civil disobedience at their workplace. The students were unhappy with working conditions at a local K-Mart in North Carolina and complained about a lack of benefits, discrimination, and harassment. Twenty students from the university participated in the civil disobedience, which included rallies, pickets, and other forms of non-violent protest. A year after some of the students were arrested, 17 of them were contacted for participation in the study. Participants answered questions about themselves in relation to their birth order, and then answered questions about a close friend whose birth order they knew well. A control group of 39 students who had not been arrested was also questioned.

The study found that 43% of the students who were not arrested were the youngest sibling in their family, while 50% of the students who were arrested had been the youngest sibling. Furthermore, all of the students who were arrested more than once during the protests were the youngest sibling in their family (Zweigenhaft, Von Ammon).

The study therefore attempts to draw a connection between the willingness to challenge authority — including risking arrest — and a person's birth order. The study also found that this tendency among youngest children to challenge authority was not determined by the total number of children in the family (Zweigenhaft, Von Ammon).

Bibliography

Beck, Linda. "Birth Order Blues: How Parents Can Help Their Children Meet the Challenge of Their Birth Order." Library Journal. New York. May 15, 1999.

Rodriguez, Geraidine, Johnson, et al. "Significant Variables Associated With Assertiveness Among Hispanic College Women." Journal of Instructional Psychology. Spring 2001. pp. 184–191.

Nyman, Lawrence. "The Identification of Birth Order and Personality Attributes." Journal of Psychology. Jan. 1995. pp. 51–66.

Veronie, Linda and Fruehstorfer, David. "Gender, Birth Order, and Family Role Identification Among Adult Children of Alcoholics." Current Psychology. Spring 2001. pp. 53–67.

Zweigenhaft, Richard and Von Ammon, Jessica. "Birth Order and Civil Disobedience: A Test of Sulloway's Born to Rebel Hypothesis." Journal of Social Psychology. October 2000. pp. 624–629.