Birth Order

1148 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: introduction on birth order

Birth Order Does being the eldest child make people highly intellectual, people pleasing, perfectionists? Are the middle children always impatiently competing for parental attention by rebelling against the rules? Are all last-born children the spoiled, selfish, favorites? Birth order, a highly controversial topic, is defined as the dynamics of an individual’s place in the family compared to that of their siblings. Birth order has been in a fiery discussion for over one hundred years; some say it’s the very foundation of each one of our personalities, while others claim that the margin of error is just too wide for these coincidental patterns to bear any meaning. Alfred Alder, the first to study birth order and the family dynamics that go with, used the term “family constellation” to describe the personality patterns seen in families. Alder gave rise to the idea that the family position a child is born into genuinely manipulates their personality (Wood). The birth order theory seems to neither stand up to nor fall to its critics, but why? The stereotypical eldest child is one that is a people pleasing perfectionist who is undoubtedly smart and can be trusted and relied upon. Typically, the first born is the most dominant of all the children simply because they feel dominant to their younger counterparts. Many studies have come to prove that the eldest child is undoubtedly the model child. Take for example this Norwegian study that revealed the eldest children as the smartest of all with a three point IQ difference between them and their next eldest siblings. This point gap is not entirely surprising because first born children are expected not only to achieve the highest grades, but also set examples and keep their siblings in ... ... middle of paper ... ...s have leaned toward this theory shaping our life before we even pop out of the womb, they cannot pin every family down to the statistics. The fact is families are too complex, too messy, and too full of emotions, moods, and competitiveness. These dense, tangled vines of family dynamics are better understood by the people in the think of them than by observers through the laboratory window. Works Cited Kluger, Jeffrey. “The Power of Birth Order.” Time Magazine Oct. 2007: n. pag. Web. 01 March 2011. Murphy, Samantha. “The Effects of Birth Order on Personality.” N.p. 2005. Web.01 March 2011. Neal, Rome. “Personality Traits Linked To Birth Order.” The Early Show – CBS News. N.p. 11 June 2002. Web. Tierney, John. “The Myth of the Firstborn,” Science Magazine, Dec. 1983: 16. Print Wood, Danielle. “How Birth Order Affects Personality.” 2006. Web. 01 March 2011.

Show More
Related

  • Persuasive Speech: The Birth Order Effect

    806 Words  | 2 Pages

    The “Birth Order Effect” speech subject was worth the time and effort spent to watch it, because it explain each characteristic and descriptions every child usually has. The topic was narrow and enough to be covered in some depth. Everyone is either an only child, first child, middle child or baby of the family making it very relevant to the audiences today. Throughout the whole speech the thesis is clear and limited to one main idea which is birth order effects. Many good key points are given in the speech that clearly related and supported the thesis. For example the speaker describes his own family using the birth order effect. Giving us a list of characteristics that describe his sisters, brother, and himself being a first, middle, or last child.

    Read More

  • The Power Of Birth Order By Jeffery Kluger

    711 Words  | 2 Pages

    The achievers, the gamblers and visionaries, and the undefined, this is how Jeffery Kluger describes the oldest, youngest, and middle child in his article “The Power of Birth Order” (409). The birth order is a phenomenon, studied by many scientists, that has been impacting the way siblings think and act for years. The birth order classifies the oldest child, who is the achiever; the middle child, who is a hybrid of the oldest and youngest; and last but not least, the youngest child, who is the adventurer of the family. The fact that the birth order affects the personalities of siblings is becoming more and more evident and the classifications of the firstborn, middle child, and youngest child have been proved to be very accurate.

    Read More

  • Does Birth Order Affect Personality Development?

    1544 Words  | 4 Pages

    There are many theories about how an individuals’ personality develop or how different characteristics and traits are formed in people. Psychiatrist Alfred Adler was the first person to suggest that the order a person was born in had a profound effect on the development of his/her personality. He called his idea the Birth Order Theory. Adler’s work on this theory cover the oldest child, commonly referred to as the first-born, as well as, the middle, youngest, and only children. The work of other experts in the field have expanded on his theory to include multiplies (twins, triplets, etc.), step-siblings, siblings with disabilities, and siblings with more than a five years gap. So according to the Birth Order Theory, how does a person’s order of birth contribute to their personality, and what are the commonly shared characteristics in each birth position? Are there other factors that can contribute or influence an individual’s personality development in relation to the Birth Order Theory that needs to be considered? If so, than how accurate is the theory really? I will attempt to answer these question.

    Read More

  • Adler's Birth Order: An Examination of Life Perception

    1002 Words  | 3 Pages

    Adler’s birth order rings true for many people. As I was reading over the different birth orders, I started thinking of different family members and friends. I wanted to see how they measured up to Adler’s concept of birth order. I found myself stereotyping my friends and family, which is hard

    Read More

  • The Effect of Birth Order on Who We Are

    1555 Words  | 4 Pages

    Does birth order really affect who we are? Sigmund Freud was the first psychotherapist to say, " a child's position in the sequence of brother and sisters is of very great significance for one course of his later life." The type of person that we become stems from many things including birth order position, gender and the genders of the other siblings. Although personality is affected by many different factors, such as heredity, family size, the spacing and the gender of other siblings, education and upbringing, birth order plays a very important role and gives many clues as to why people are the was they are. Dr. Alfred Adler, a renowned psychiatrist, wrote that a person's position in the family leaves an undeniable "stamp" on his or her "style of living."

    Read More

  • The Effects of Birth Order on the Personality of an Individual

    1439 Words  | 3 Pages

    Birth order is a key element in gaining an understanding of one's self as well as other people. Through birth order placement, one develops a behavior pattern as well as ways of thinking and emotional responses. This effects all aspects of living such as, expectations, mental weaknesses, marriage, and spirituality. Understanding the birth order characteristics is a simple method in determining how and what makes another individual "tick."

    Read More

  • Does Birth Order have an effect on an individual’s personality, social skills, and success in life?

    1699 Words  | 4 Pages

    “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?

    Read More

  • Birth Order Influence Personality

    868 Words  | 2 Pages

    Many factors can shape a persons a personality, it could be their environment, peers, family, siblings, but one wouldn’t think that their birth order can too. The last factor will be the one topic I will be getting into more depth in this essay. Either being born first or last it will have a huge impact on your personality (Parents magazine 2006). The first to introduce the theory of the impact birth order has on personality was psychologist Alfred Adler in the early 20th century. This started a new interest in many on this research (Lesley Ogden 2013). His theory suggest the common personality traits each first, middle, and last borns have. Let me start off with the first born of the family and work my way down. The first born is the child the family “practices” on you could say. First time parents have no experience on parenting, and they want to try their best on raising a good child which causes them to be stricter. This causes them to put more pressure on the first borns to do better at everything they do. Which can make them become perfectionists and high achievers. But they want to be noticed and praised by their parents when they do well. This too however develops them to become leaders, especially if they have siblings their parents want them to set an example for (Brooks 1984). Independence, reliability, and respect for authority are other traits that this group may has. They are highly intelligent and get high qualifications in school. They can also be serious and very mature for their age. Because of this nature, this group tends to get along really well with their elders. The pressure of carrying responsibilities (and at times even being forced upon) at an early age can bring negative factors. For the reason that it c...

    Read More

  • The Influence Of Birth Order On Personality

    2494 Words  | 5 Pages

    A study done by A. P. MacDonald Jr. in West Virginia University about Birth Rate and Personality in 1969, investigated for birth order differences in 2 sample of undergraduate students, the first sample of students in the first investigation were 786 students from the university, with 339 males & 447 females, the sample contained 86 only child (36 males & 50 females), 294 first born (145 males & 149 female), 406 later born (158 males & 248 females). After collecting the sample, subjects were ask for short personal history which include birth order, and were measured

    Read More

  • Susan Whitbourne That Elusive Birth Order And What It Means For You

    269 Words  | 1 Pages

    Throughout the text "That Elusive Birth Order and What it Means for You," Susan Whitbourne displays her true feelings about birth order and how it affects children and adults alike. By dismissing and questioning the psychological studies done on birth order, it is clear how she approaches the subject. Whitboune even considers these theories "myths both in your family and in psychology as a whole" (LL 1). Although she feels these studies are untrustworthy, Whitbourne still analyzes two studies performed in 2012. Most of the text is conveying information from the studies, but Whitbourne does provide personal opinions throughout.

    Read More

  • Birth order

    828 Words  | 2 Pages

    Leman, Kevin. The Birth Order Book: Why You Are the Way You Are. Old Tappan, NJ: F.H. Revell, 1985. Print.

    Read More

  • Birth Order And Personality Essay

    805 Words  | 2 Pages

    This paper will take a closer look at this phenomenon through an introduction to the field of study regarding the link between birth order and personality. To set the stage, theories of birth order will first be briefly reviewed. The progress of studies from this initial theoretical stage has cause...

    Read More

  • The Patterns of Birth Order

    1822 Words  | 4 Pages

    The patterns of birth order have been seen for centuries, although it was not studied exclusively until around the 1980s. There are many factors that play into a persons personality, such as their genetics, the way they are raised, and their environment. Birth order looks at a persons place in their family—if they are the oldest, middle, or youngest child—and provides commonalities between them and others in the same location in other families. While there are many variations, the general traits do apply. Research shows that the first born is typically a leader in the family and in other areas of life. The youngest child is usually light hearted and social. The one that is hardest to put a type to is the middle child. He or she will frequently try to blaze their own path, straying from the one that their older sibling made. I believe that birth order plays a part in a person’s personality, but that the way they were raised is also a very important variable. A child’s birth order, along with the way they were raised, is a major factor in the way they interact within their family and other groups.

    Read More

  • How Birth Order Affects Personality

    999 Words  | 2 Pages

    Gross, Dr. Gail. “The Achiever, the Peacemaker, and the Life of the Party: How Birth Order Affects Personality”. Huffingtonpost. 2014. Web. 30 April 2014.

    Read More

  • The Effect of Being an Only Child on the Child's Personality

    1164 Words  | 3 Pages

    Sulloway, F. J. (September 1997). Birth order and personality. Harvard Mental Health Letter, 14, 5-7

    Read More

More about Birth Order

Open Document