What your ranking in the family pecking order says about you
You’ve heard it before: the oldest child is the most successful, the middle child are better diplomats and the youngest is the rebel. It’s been long believed that your birth order influences your personality, career and even behaviour, but is any of this backed by science?
Back in the 1920s, Austrian physician Alfred Adler first championed the significance of birth order but since then, many of his findings have been dismissed due to a lack of scientific reasoning. Over the years, despite the wealth of research, the scientific community hasn’t come to a consensus about the effects of birth order, most concluding that the impact of birth order is likely to be small compared to other factors. Nevertheless, birth order is fun to debate and there are some interesting findings that are generally consistent across the research. So from eldest to youngest, here are some of the most interesting findings about what your family pecking order says about you.
If you’re the eldest…
A good deal of research supports the notion that first-borns tend to be achievement-oriented and thrive in leadership positions. A 2012 paper reviewing more than 500 studies on birth order from the past 20 years found that firstborns are more likely to take leadership positions, stick to rules and order, and strive for achievement. Belgian psychologists Vassilis Saroglou and Laure Fiasse noted in a 2003 study, published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, “Firstborns tend to be responsible, competitive and conventional.”
Key characteristics:
- Reliable
- Conscientious
- Cautious
- Ambitious
- Competitive
Famous first borns:
- Hillary Clinton
- Oprah
- Winston Churchill
If you’re in the middle…
The middle child is popularly believed to be the least enviable position, but a 2010 review of birth order studies found that middle children tend to be sociable, very loyal in their relationships, and good at relating to both older and younger people. As middle children are literally “stuck in the middle”, they also turn out to be good negotiators and compromisers, as well as being co-operative and flexible.
“We discovered during our research, the stereotype does not correspond to reality. Far from being doomed to failure and loneliness, middle children are more likely than their siblings to be successful and enjoy strong social lives and flourishing careers,” Katrin Schumann, co-author of book The Secret Power Of Middle Children, told Daily Mail.
Key characteristics
- People-pleasing
- Diplomatic
- Peacemaker
- Sociable
- Flexible
Famous middle-borns:
- Martin Luther King Jr.
- Bill Gates
- Stella McCartney
If you’re the youngest…
Studies consistently show the baby of the family is more creative, rebellious, attention-seeking and confident than their elder siblings. “Firstborns are held to a higher standard. As kids come into the birth order, parents loosen up,” explains Dr. Kevin Leman, a psychologist and the author of The Birth Order Book and The First-Born Advantage. While the youngest tend to be charming and popular, they can also be manipulative. “They got away with murder as kids and know how to get around people,” Dr Leman said.
Key characteristics:
- Fun-loving
- Manipulative
- Outgoing
- Funny
- Attention-seeking
Famous youngest-borns:
- Mark Twain
- Prince Harry
- Jim Carrey