Birth Order and Personality

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Abstract 

The formative influence of birth-order on one's core personality is one of Adler's most significant contributions to psychology. 

Frank Sulloway's seminal work Born to Rebel (1997) is cited in which he compares birth-order differences in the Big Five personality variables: extraversion; agreeableness; conscientiousness; neuroticism; and openness. When pooled together, the odds of such differences occurring by change is calculated to be "less than one in a billion billion."

Results indicated the following most-frequently cited statistically significant differences for the following four birth-order categories:

Oldest child: 

Highest achievers; Highest IQ; Greatest educational success and fewest academic problems; Highest motivation and need for achievement; Overrepresented among college students, graduate students, college faculty, and other learned groups; Most affiliative under stress; Least conventional sexuality; Most affiliative.

Middle child: 

Fewest "acting out" problems; Sociable; Greatest feeling of not belonging; Successful in team sports; Relates well to older and younger people; Competes in areas not attempted by oldest; Lowest need for intellectual achievement.

Youngest child:

Greatest over-representation of psychiatric disorders; Most likely to be an alcoholic (increases with family size); Empathetic; Characteristics of Oldest in anxiety and fear if five years younger than next oldest; Highest representation among writers (especially autobiographers and family historians); Over-represented in activities involving social interplay; Most popular.

Single child: 

High need for achievement; Highest achievers (except for Oldest Child); Most likely to go to college; Most behavior problems; Lowest need for affiliation; Most need for affiliation under stress; Loners and lonely; Under-represented among psychiatric clients; Most likely to be referred for clinical; Act as Single children if 7 year difference.

Source:http://www.encouragingleadership.com/Birth_Order.htm
 

Birth Order 

Lorie M. Sutter

Birth order is one way to gain an understanding of friends, family members and co-workers. Some researchers believe how you are placed in your family can have an influence on personality traits. Other factors must also be considered. These include genetics and the environment in which you were raised.

There are no magical formulas to help us understand our friends and family. However birth order research may offer "clues" about why people tend to be the way they are. Through your position in the family (birth order) you develop your behavior pattern, way of thinking and emotional response. Your birth order helps determine your expectations, your strategies for dealing with people and your weaknesses.

Understanding birth order may give some insight into a better understanding of yourself and others. Birth order placement may help you know what to expect of others, what to avoid and how to get responses you want. This can be an advantage in parenting, teaching, sales and other occupations.

Psychologists who have studied the impact of birth order on personality have found firstborns tend to be highly motivated to achieve. Of the first twenty-three astronauts sent into outer space, twenty-one were first-borns or only children.

In school, first-borns tend to work harder for grades than do later-borns. They often grow to be more competitive and to have higher educational and career aspirations. Any enumeration of prominent people, eminent scholars, even presidents of the United States contains a high percent of first-borns.

Characteristics of first borns:

  • Goal setters
  • High achievers
  • Perfectionist
  • Responsible
  • Organized
  • Rule Keepers
  • Determined
  • Detail people
Only-children are considered as a specialized type of first-borns. They are generally characterized much the same as firstborns who have siblings.

A good description of middle children is balanced. Middle children are good mediators and have superior cooperation skills. They don't have their parents all to themselves or get their own way. Therefore, they learn to negotiate and compromise. Middle children often make excellent managers and leaders because of these skills.

Characteristics of the Middle Child:

  • Flexible
  • Diplomatic
  • Peacemaker
  • Generous
  • Social
  • Competitive
Youngest children in the family are typically outgoing and great at motivating other people. They are also affectionate, uncomplicated and sometimes a little absent minded.

Studies show that babies of the family gravitate toward vocations that are people oriented. Good sales people are often last borns.

Characteristics of the last born child:

  • Risk takers
  • Outgoing
  • Idea people
  • Creative
  • Humor
  • Question authority
Birth order isn't a simplistic 1-2-3 system that says all first-borns are equally one way, all second children are another and last-born kids are always just like this or that. These are tendencies and general characteristics that often apply. There are dynamics within families that can change relationships.

Variables can affect each family situation. These variables include spacing (the number of years between children), the sex of the child, physical differences, disabilities, the birth order position of parents, any blending of two or more families due to death or divorce and the relationship between parents.

Whether raising your children or working with adults the key is to remember everyone is an individual. Birth order is another attempt to gain insight into the complex behavior of human beings.

Sources: The Birth Order Challenge, by Clifford Isaacson; The Birth Order Book by Kevin Lehman
 

ADLERIAN OVERVIEW OF BIRTH ORDER CHARACTERISTICS

Developed by Henry T. Stein, Ph.D.

(This is a broad simplification of Adler's theory.)
POSITION FAMILY SITUATION CHILD'S CHARACTERISTICS
ONLY Birth is a miracle. Parents have no previous experience. Retains 200% attention from both parents. May become rival of one parent. Can be over-protected and spoiled. Likes being the center of adult attention. Often has difficulty sharing with siblings and peers. Prefers adult company and uses adult language.
OLDEST Dethroned by next child. Has to learn to share. Parent expectations are usually very high. Often given resposnsibility and expected to set an example. May become authoritarian or strict. Feels power is his right. Can become helpful if encouraged. May turn to father after birth of next child.
SECOND He has a pacemaker. There is always someone ahead. Is more competitive, wants to overtake older child. May become a rebel or try to outdo everyone. Competition can deteriorate into rivalry.
MIDDLE Is "sandwiched" in. May feel squeezed out of a position of privilege and significance. May be even-tempered, "take it or leave it" attitude. May have trouble finding a place or become a fighter of injustice.
YOUNGEST Has many mothers and fathers. Older children try to educate him. Never dethroned. Wants to be bigger than the others. May have huge plans that never work out. Can stay the "baby." Frequently spoiled.
TWIN One is usually stronger or more active. Parents may see one as the older. Can have identity problems. Stronger one may become the leader.
"GHOST CHILD" Child born after the death of the first child may have a "ghost" in front of him. Mother may becime over-protective. Child may exploit mother's over-concern for his well-being, or he may rebel, and protest the feeling of being compared to an idealized memory.
ADOPTED CHILD Parents may be so thankful to have a child that they spoil him. They may try to compensate for the loss of his biological parents. Child may become very spoiled and demanding. Eventually, he may resent or idealize the biological parents.
ONLY BOY AMONG GIRLS Usually with women all the time, if father is away.  May try to prove he is the man in the family, or become effeminate.
ONLY GIRL AMONG BOYS Older brothers may act as her protectors. Can become very feminine, or a tomboy and outdo the brothers. May try to please the father.
ALL BOYS If mother wanted a girl, can be dressed as a girl. Child may capitalize on assigned role or protest it vigorously.
ALL GIRLS May be dressed as a boy. Child may capitalize on assigned role or protest it vigorously.

GENERAL NOTES

  1. The psychological situation of each child in the family is different.
  2. The child's opinion of himself and his situation determines his choice of attitude.
  3. If more than 3 years separate children, sub-groups of birth order may form.
  4. A child's birth order position may be seized by another child if circumstances permit.
  5. Competition may be expressed in choice of interests or development of characteristics.
  6. Birth order is sometimes not a major influences on personality development. The other potentially significant influences are: organ inferiority, parental attitudes, social & economic position, and gender roles. 
  7. For more comprehensive information about birth order, read: What Life Could Mean to You, by Alfred Adler; The Individual Psychology of Alfred Adler, edited by Heinz and Rowena Ansbacher; and Lydia Sicher: An Adlerian Perspective, edited by Adele Davidson.
  8. Adler speculated that birth order differences would begin to disappear when families became less competitive and autocratic, and more cooperative and democratic.
Source: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/hstein/birthord.htm