According to recent research, middle children tend to be more truthful, modest, and collaborative compared to their brothers and sisters.
Verified by Sarah Scott
For years, there has been an ongoing discussion about the role birth order contributes to shaping fundamental personality characteristics. From eldest daughter syndrome to stereotypes of the spoiled youngest child There’s a notion that the birth order of siblings can influence their behavior patterns.
Several studies have examined this concept, with many discovering that firstborn children often exhibit greater intellectual characteristics compared to their younger brothers and sisters.
A new research has revealed an unforeseen connection between birth position and character traits, showing that those born second in their family tend to be more truthful, modest, and amiable compared to their brothers or sisters.
Is It True That Middle Children Have an Advantage Over Their Siblings?
The research employed the HEXACO Personality Inventory to assess six primary character attributes: honesty-humility, emotionality, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience. The findings indicated that middle children received higher scores for honesty/humility and agreeableness. However, what does this imply?
Based on the HEXACO Personality Inventory, individuals who score highly in agreeableness tend to be forgiving of injustices they encounter, show leniency when evaluating others, prefer cooperation over conflict, and have good self-control regarding their emotions. On the other hand, someone with a high score in honesty-humility typically refrains from using deceit for personal advantage, adheres to rules, and has minimal desire for extravagance or higher social standing.
It's important to mention that the highest scores were achieved by the youngest participants, followed by the oldest ones, whereas those who were only children obtained the lowest scores. Additionally, kids with several brothers and sisters achieved better scores, indicating that these individuals are both highly agreeable and modest. According to the researchers behind the study, Michael Ashton and Kibeom Lee, this might result from the enhanced ability to collaborate among children in bigger families, potentially offsetting inclinations toward self-centered behavior.
More research is still necessary.
In conclusion, additional research is necessary to establish whether birth order definitively influences personality traits. Studies from both 2019 and 2020 have introduced complexities into this issue. Specifically, the 2020 investigation indicates that being an only child does not necessarily make one more prone to narcissism compared to individuals who have several brothers or sisters. Conversely, the earlier study in 2019 revealed that the distinctions in personalities among adults based on their sibling status are extremely minor.
Although numerous individuals are convinced that Birth order holds significant importance. When assessing traits such as kindness, diligence, organization, or being spoiled, studies have not firmly established these differences among siblings. Therefore, eldest and youngest children can take comfort knowing that the chance of their middle brother or sister being genuinely superior to them in character is quite low (a notion you were likely aware of all along).
Read the initial article on DIWIDA