DOES BIRTH ORDER AFFECT PERSONALITY Jenna R. Have you ever wondered why you are the way you are? what makes you the person you are? Sadly, there is no clear answer to this, but believe it or not your birth order can play a huge role. In other words, your position in your family can determined a part of your personality. Everyone has heard the term “baby of the family”, but where did this idea come from? This topic has been debated for years, but recently, new studies have come to into the light. They explore the personality ideas of the achiever, the rebellious one, and the life of the party.
The Oldest Child
The first born, sometimes known as the achiever, is often looked up to by others. This is why they take on more of a leadership role compared to their siblings. With this, comes the pressure to succeed, most parents are more strict on their eldest child because they expect them to “set an example”. some top careers for oldest children are government or roles in politics, information technology workers, engineering jobs, and the field of science. An interesting fact about firstborns, one hundred percent of all Astronauts who have gone into space who were either eldest children or eldest sons. In a 2008 study it was revealed , First-born children received 20 to 30 more minutes of daily quality time from parents than second-born kids of the same age from similar families, says the research. Over all, that is 3,000 more quality hours spent with first children between the ages of 4 and 13 than their next sibling. Winston Churchill was a first born child. Churchill’s refusal to consider defeat helped inspire the English during World War II, and he is now regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders in history. he showed his first born personality by being controlling.
First-born children tend to be…
Assertive or dominant
Respectful of authority
Motivated
Leaders
Fearful in new situations
Mature
Dependent on others for approval
Self-disciplined
Confident
The Middle Child “The middle child is hard to pin down”, Dr. Kevin Leman noted. Sometimes known as the rebellious child, they are almost guaranteed to be the opposite of their older sibling. They often feel like the oldest gets all the glory and the youngest gets away with everything, so they may feel as if they do not have a special place in the family that they were born into . Public service workers, caretakers law enforcement jobs, construction , and, lastly, educational supervisors are top careers choices for middle or second children. A fun fact about middle children, eighty percent of middle children will remain faithful to their partner throughout a relationship. This is compared to sixty five percent for firstborns and fifty three percent for youngest children of the household. Martin Luther King Junior was a middle child. He was a leader of the Civil Rights Movement of the nineteen-sixties. King’s message of nonviolence in the face of attempts at repression helped galvanize popular thinking in favor of his movement. He exemplified his middle child personality by being rebellious and standing up for the things he believed to be true like no other man had the courage to do. Middle children tend to be…
excellent negotiators
more rebellious
outgoing
competitive
feels like they get less attention
secretive
independent
peacemaker
extrovert
sociable
Youngest Child Last born children, are often known as the “baby” or ”the life of the party” because they expect others to take on the responsibility while they just have a good time. Because of this, they have the potential to come off as spoiled or manipulative towards others. The top jobs for youngest children would be, art, design, editing and writing, information technology, and sales. An interesting fact about youngest children would be, eighty five percent of youngest children suffer from nightmares, compared to twenty fiveof oldest children. Mark Twain was a middle child. He was an American author and humorist who has been called the father of American literature, and he exemplified his youngest child personality by being an outgoing person that loved to create things. Youngest children tend to be…
social
outgoing
the most financially irresponsible
potentially manipulative
fun loving
irresponsible
expect others to do things for them
expect others to make decisions
expect others to take responsibility
The Only Child These children tend to be more mature due to their time spent with adults. Many are achievers with not much rebelling, and they usually like to follow their own path. Top jobs for only child are information technology, engineering, nursing, and law enforcement. An interesting fact about only children is that eighteen percent of families have only a single child in them. Elvis Presley was an only child, and he was known as being one of the best-selling solo artist in the history of music. The king of all rock remains one of the most important figures in American culture. He displayed his only child personality by being a perfectionist, and because of it, he shaped music as America knew it. Only children tend to be…
Perfectionists
Conscientious
Diligent
mature
comfortable with personality
organized
hard time sharing
sometimes spoiled
Twins There is growing evidence that birth order in even twins can determine personality. Similar to oldest and second born personalities, one twin, normally the eldest, takes on the leadership personality. First born Children are normally confident and want to manage others, wherever they are. They are perfectionists, like only children, and want to please authority figures in their life. Studies show that firstborns have a slightly higher IQ than their other siblings. Second born children, on the other hand, often have the complete opposite personality from their older twin. Many times, they are flexible, easier to compromise with, and are the peacemakers of their family. They put others first, but they are able to feel left out in the family. An interesting fact about twins is that tall women are more likely to give birth to them. Also, forty percent of twins invent their own language.
Conclusion In conclusion, whether or not birth order affects personality is a heavily debated topic, but new evidence suggests that this fact is possible. Studies show that the eldest child tends to be more of an achiever, the middle child is normally more outgoing, and the youngest is often less responsible. Twins often have a “leader” and a “follower”. No matter what position you hold in the family, one thing is certain, no child will take on the same personality.
Bibliography “Cigna.” Cigna. Web. 30 Oct. 2015. “How Birth Order Affects Your Child's Personality And Behavior.” Parents Magazine. Web. 30 Oct. 2015. “Is Birth Order Destiny?” Psychology Today. Web. 30 Oct. 2015. “The Birth Order Effect.” Best Psychology Degrees. Web. 30 Oct. 2015. “The Birth Order Effect.” Psychologies. Web. 30 Oct. 2015.