Question

8. Summarize what we know about birth-order effects in children and explain why som researchers think this information has been overdramatized. e

Answer 1

1- BIRTH ORDER EFFECTS-

The order with which a child is born is called as the birth order. (First born child, second born child etc.) Austrian psychiatrist Alfred Adler pioneered this theory that the birth order influences the personality.

It is said that Reliability, control and achievements are the key attributes of the first born children. Whereas fairness, peacemaking and a fabulous social contact are the features of the middle born child. And being playful, self focused and outgoing are the characteristics of the youngest children.

The middle child enjoys the advantage of both the older and the younger. But older child is with a sentiment of a loss sometimes as he experiences give- mechanism and the younger child may have the feeling of jealousy.

2- OVERDRAMATISATION OF INFORMATION-

Brian Smith and Michael Lamb through their book "Sibling Relationships", put that the very minute/ negligible impact of birth order is not worth considering as in the nearer future, as socialisation, adaptation and the environmental influence erases the birth order effect.

Children when grow up do not have the chance of being in the same home wherein they resided. They may migrate for education etc. Therefore the birth order impact is absolutely absent.

According to recent surveys and researches, there is no relationship between the birth order and intelligence.

In real life, there are infinite cases of success by the first born child and there exist contradictions to the middle born and the younger children as well.