Birth Order and Its Implications on Personality

1752 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: does birth order affect personality essay

At the intersection of psychology, sociology and biology lies a rich subject for exploration: birth order and its implications on an individual’s personality. In the past, research has identified trends and tendencies linking personality to birth order, the ranking of siblings within a family. Even though siblings within the same family have the same parents, the interactions with those parents will differ due to innate or genetic differences between the siblings. As such, their experiences within the family unit can be varied and this can affect their psychological development. Through the analysis of academic performance, parenting expectations, and social behaviors, once can see that birth order has a significant bearing on one’s personality. There have been a number of studies conducted about the relationship between birth order, and intelligence. As early as 1874, Francis Galton took an interest in the relationship between scholarly achievement and birth order. In studies throughout the years a high representation has been found in “first born” children over subsequent children in Nobel “Prize winners (Clark & Rice, 1982), classical music composers (Schubert, Wagner & Schubert, 1977) and Psychologists (Terry, 1989)” (Esping, 2003 p. 1). According to Dr. Kevin Leman, author of “The Birth Order Book,” he states “statistics show that first-borns often fill positions of high authority and achievement” (Leman, 2009, p. 19). Furthermore, of the forty-four United States presidents, 28 were first-borns and all but two U.S. astronauts were first born (Leman, 2009). This goes to show that first-borns are noted as the more academically driven sibling. One of the many factors that contribute to first-borns having higher academic ach... ... middle of paper ... ...976): 1431. Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts. Web. 24 Mar. 2014. Dr. Kevin Leman, “Have you ever wondered why your sister or your brother is so different from you?”thrivingfamily.ca. Thriving Family, 2010 Joshua K. Hartshorne, “How Birth Order Affects your Family.” Scientificamerican.com. Scientific America, 8 Jan. 2009 Smith, Julianne. "Birth Order: What Your Position In The Family Really Tells You About Your Character." Library Journal 138.9 (2013): 64. Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts. Web. 24 Mar. 2014. "The Firstborn Advantage: Making Your Birth Order Work For You." Publishers Weekly 255.26 (2008): 175. Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.

Show More
Related

  • Peg Kehret

    410 Words  | 1 Pages

    The comparison between siblings has become a universal problem over the past several decades, as implied in Peg Kehret’s elementary monologue, I’m NOT My Brother; I’m Me. Through Jonathan, Kehret expresses the valuable message to never judge people based on the characteristics of their siblings. As the oldest child in my family, I support Kehret’s message and additionally believe that every individual is different and hence, should not be judged or compared with their siblings, family members or friends.

    Read More

  • Born First Born Smarter Summary

    612 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the article, Born First, Born Smarter?, researchers, Robert Zajonc and Gregory Markus, clarify and elucidate the mystery as to why firstborn children tend to have a higher intelligence than that of a subsequent child. The research given in the article was influenced by the data and findings of Belmont and Marolla, as well as other nameless researchers.

    Read More

  • Eudora Welty's Why I Live at the P.O.

    1021 Words  | 3 Pages

    Watanabe-Hammond, S. ( 1988). Blueprints from the past: A character work perspective on siblings and personality formation. In K. G.Lewis ( Ed.), Siblings in therapy: Life span and clinical issues New York: Norton.

    Read More

  • We Need to Talk About Kevin and House Rules

    1752 Words  | 4 Pages

    Dillner, Luisa. "The sibling bond." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 1 Aug. 2009. Web. 01 Dec.

    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

    Blair, L. (2011). Birth Order: What Your Position in the Family Really Tells You About Your

    Read More

  • Birth Order Theory Essay

    610 Words  | 2 Pages

    ‘Birth order theory can help explain why children raised in the same family environment with a strong genetic relationship can have such different personalities’ (Drysdale, 2011). The birth order theory says that ‘first-borns are leaders, the drivers and the responsible type. They love to feel in control and feel uncomfortable with surprises or feeling out of their depth. They are conservative in their outlook’ (Grose, 2013). The personality theory says that last-borns are majorly different to first-borns in their characteristics and traits. It states that last-borns are ‘the

    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 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

  • Biological Factors Can Predict Personality

    1903 Words  | 4 Pages

    A layman would define personality as an individual’s characteristics in terms of how they think and behave. Many theorists, however, interprets personality differently resulting in various personality theories. Personality is determined by traits which are behaviours displayed by a person in most given situations. How a person reacts to common circumstances may also be used to foresee future behaviours. Traits are then categorized into types that allow easier comparisons to be made between each individual’s attributes. The focus of this paper would be on the biological aspects of personality whereby traits are thought to be inheritable through genetics and associated with the central nervous system. Behavioural genetics are research that makes use of results from studies done on family, twins and adoptions. The findings of how both genes and environment influences personality from the studies will be discussed. Some researchers found possible issues with the representativeness of such studies. The outline of Eysenck’s biological model of personality and arousal, Gray’s BAS/BIS theory and Cloninger’s biological model of personality will further explain the biological effect on personality.

    Read More

  • Birth Order Influence Personality

    868 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...ement motivation has nothing to do with birth order, and others say otherwise. Few studies show how the birth order does not affect the achievement motivation in individuals (Toni Falbo 1981, Healey and Ellis 2007, Reese, Averett and Argys 2008, Srivastava 2011). What careers do each of these groups most commonly pursue? First borns since they are considered the very intellectual ones they tend to go for high professional careers. For the middle- borns and the babies of the family, with their risk-taking, and laid back personalities they go for artistic careers (Brooks 1984, and USA Today 2002). This once again comes down to the influence parents put on their children, they put a heavy load on first borns on getting a really good career, but the time later borns are choosing their career paths they have eased up and allow them to take more risks (USA Today 2002).

    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

  • Benefits Of Growing Up With Siblings

    1481 Words  | 3 Pages

    Many people grow up with a sibling, in fact eighty percent of people in the United States and Europe grow up with a brother or sister (Dunn 1). Most people can agree with the statement that growing up with siblings has impacted their development and personality. This topic has been researched by psychologist and sociologist for decades; which has provided both positive and negative outcomes of growing up with siblings. Children can benefit from growing up with siblings because they can learn from their siblings, gain social skills, and their siblings may become a valuable asset in one’s life.

    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 and Its Implications on Personality

Open Document