by Dawn Dibartolo

Created on: July 01, 2008

Birth Order, meaning a persons rank according to age within his or her family, has long been believed to have an affect on individual personality traits. Some psychologists believe that where a person fits into their family structure has a profound impact on how they develop, and the characteristics they display as adults. This belief has been both studied and challenged by researchers.

A contemporary approach to birth order research suggests that the Big Five personality traits (Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness and Neuroticism) represent significant elements of measurement in the determination of personality traits, and are in fact, influenced by birth order. Researcher Frank Sulloway suggests that firstborns are more conscientious, socially dominant, less agreeable and less open-minded. Others refute Sulloway's findings and have compiled studies to the contrary.

An Austrian psychiatrist, Alfred Adler (1870-1937), was one of the first theorists to study the influence of birth order on individual personality. He suggested that birth order left a deep-rooted impression upon a person and influenced their choice of lifestyle, in relation to how they interacted with other people.

Adler theorized that children without siblings often seek to be the center of attention, preferring adult company to age appropriate peers. He also suggested that only children tend to have difficulty sharing. Other researchers suggest that only children are typically pampered and spoiled, relying on the services of others rather than making their own effort. They theorize that a child without siblings may often refuse to cooperate, and feel mistreated when they don't get their own way.

Research suggests that firstborn children often feel "dethroned" by the next child. Being the oldest, firstborn children are often held to a higher expectation by their parents, and sometimes are engaged to help take care of the younger child, thereby fostering a sense of power and authority. Some researchers, including Adler, suggest that firstborn children develop a sense that power and superiority is their right, and may become controlling or strict. Firstborn children also may develop competent, responsible behavior and a sense of perfectionism in an effort to gain and retain a parent's affection and attention. If this fails, these children may become discouraged and turn toward rebellion.

The second or middle child, according to theory, tends to be more competitive in nature. Always

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>