Saturday, November 12, 2022

The Truth About Sibling Personality Traits, According to Science | E-Neighborhood Advisor

 Happy Saturday! - Hope you have a great weekend!

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It is a question that has plagued families for centuries: is it better to be the eldest, youngest, or middle child? 

With that in mind, Stylist's Kayleigh Dray pored over numerous scientific and psychological studies on the very compelling topic of sibling personality traits. 

The First-Born Child
Researchers at the University of Illinois used a sample of 377,000 school children. They found there were differences in personality traits, with the eldest sibling tending to be more extroverted, agreeable, and conscientious. 

The study also found that first-born children tend to have a higher IQ than those born later, which sounds like bad news for those born second, third, or so forth, but it's only by a point or so. Another notable study conducted by the Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex, came to a similar conclusion. 

It concluded that the eldest child, especially if female, is statistically more likely to be the most ambitious and well-qualified of their family, as they tend to carry higher aspirations. 

Another 2007 survey of 1,582 chief executives, as per Business Insider, saw 43 percent report that they are the first-born. And a smaller survey bolstered this research, noting that first-borns are 55 percent more likely than the rest of the population to be founders of companies or organizations. 

Essentially, then, first-born children are: 
extroverted
agreeable
conscientious
smart
driven
organized

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The Middle Child
Psychologist Catherine Salmon and journalist Katrin Schumann, whose work tends to focus on the struggle to define ourselves in the context of our circumstances, worked together on their eye-opening book, The Secret Power Of Middle Children. 

The pair revealed that many of the enduring myths about middle children – that they're embittered outsiders who feel neglected by their parents – couldn't be more wrong. 

As Schumann explained: "Although middles are neglected, both by parents and researchers, they actually benefit from this in the long run. They become more independent, think outside the box, feel less pressure to conform, and are more empathetic. 

She added that, due to their ranking in the family, middle children are more patient, as well as "savvy, skillful manipulators."

Jeffrey Kluger, author of the book, "The Sibling Effect: What the Bonds Among Brothers and Sisters Reveal About Us," agrees with Salmon and Schumann's findings. 

Writing in an article for Time, he noted: "At the heart of nearly all jobs is that kind of relationship management – connecting, negotiating, brokering peace between differing sides. 

"Middle siblings may not wind up as the corporate chiefs or the comedians, but whatever they do, they're likely to do it more collegially and agreeably – and, as a result, more successfully – than other siblings." 

Essentially, then, middle children are: 
independent
non-conformist
relationship-focused
empathetic
patient
excellent negotiators
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The Youngest Child
Researchers at the universities of Reading and Birmingham studied the lives of over 6,300 British men and women who were born in 1970 and raised with siblings to find out more about the elusive youngest child. 
They discovered that the baby of the family is more likely to take risks when it comes to business – and most likely to become entrepreneurs. 
Why? Well, according to the study, the youngest child has a 'born to rebel' mentality that makes them more likely to be "exploratory, unconventional, and tolerant of risk." 

And this theory is supported by the work of Dr. Kevin Leman, a psychologist and the author of The Birth Order Book and The First-Born Advantage. 

"First-borns are held to a higher standard. As kids come into the birth order, parents loosen up," he says, adding that his research has repeatedly found that younger siblings tend to be more sociable and outgoing, but also manipulative. 

"They got away with murder as kids and knew how to get around people," he adds. 

Essentially, then, younger siblings are: 
entrepreneurial
rebellious
outgoing
manipulative
funny
relaxed

So, which is best? 
Well, that truly does depend on how you define 'best' – but there's a lot to mull over here. Not to mention a great deal of kindling for those interested in stoking up the fires of sibling rivalry once again. And, as with nearly everything else, it appears research has produced endlessly contradictory results.


I'm the youngest of five children in my family. I agree with this article from Stylist with some of these traits about the youngest (I have always been entrepreneurial), but it just goes to show that you can't put everybody in a box according to their birth order. Where do you land in your family of origin? Have you noticed any of these traits in you that correlate with these studies? I would love to hear about it. Thanks for reading!

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful weekend!

Sincerely,
Capell Flooring Team
Matt Capell & Capell Team
Capell Flooring and Interiors
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P.S.  Here is joke for you because what would you do without our jokes ;)

How do you tell two half-siblings apart?
The difference is apparent

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