New Insights About Birth Order
Being First or Last Born Affects Your Career, Health, & Personality
Child psychology explores personality development, & sibling rivalry. Check out these new insights about birth order, career, intellectual pursuits, & even health risks!
New insights about birth order are showing that it plays a significant role in developing personality traits, social skills, and even risk-taking behavior. Whether you're born first, born last, or stuck somewhere in the middle – your birth order changes your perspective on your career, relationships, and even your risk for brain tumors! Sibling rivalry, which is affected by birth order, also plays a huge role in developing adult relationships and healthy lifestyles.
Birth Order and Career choices
New insights about birth order are revealing that only children and first borns are more interested in intellectual careers. Later-borns or youngest children tend towards artistic and outdoors-related jobs. Ohio State University professor Frederick Leong states, "Parents typically place different demands and have different expectations of children depending on their birth order."
Only children are protected by their parents, which is why they may be more likely to pursue intellectual-cognitive careers versus outdoorsy or artistic ones. Plus, only children often enjoy more time and attention from parents, in comparison to kids with siblings. New insights about birth order show that parents tend to encourage only children and first borns towards more prestigious careers, such as medicine or law, which involves higher education and rigorous intellectual challenges.
Leong pointed out that first born or oldest children start out as only children. Their role in the family is changed after other kids are born, which makes a difference in personality development. This change in role makes it difficult to determine exactly how birth order affects their lives and personality.
According to these new insights about birth order, parents tend to relax as more children are born. If they only have one child, parents may have higher expectations. For instance, they worry if the child chooses to be a surfing instructor or poet because of career instability and financial income. By the fifth or sixth child, insights about birth order reveal that parents mind less about their children's career choices (perhaps because they have less time and energy!).
Birth Order and Academic Sibling Rivalry
Psychology student Julia Badger (from the Aston University in Birmingham, UK) found differences in birth order and academic performance. Academic sibling rivalry is more likely to affect last borns than middle or first borns. That is, youngest children may feel more pressure to excel at school. Regarding birth order, Badger also found that oldest children are more dutiful and responsible (not surprising, since they're often asked to help around the house or take care of younger siblings).
Birth Order and Brain Tumors
Insights about birth order reveal that the chances of developing a brain tumor are higher if you have four or more siblings. Andrea Altieri of the German Cancer Research Center (Heidelberg, Germany) found that brain tumor rates are higher among those who have younger siblings. Later borns or youngest children are less likely to develop tumors. Altieri suggests that "infectious agents" cause the tumors; oldest children are more likely to be exposed to infections than younger siblings. Infections (or re-infections) in late childhood may contribute towards the formation of a brain tumor. Birth order can affect brain development.
Birth Order and Everyday Life
Your birth order plays a huge role in all aspects of your life. Can you imagine what your life would be like if you had no siblings, more siblings, or even adopted or foster siblings? Maybe better, maybe worse...but certainly different.
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