Does Birth Order Affect Personality?

Written by: Naja Thorup Kristoffersen (22-A6), Vernice Tan (22-U1)

Designed by: Loo Hao Zhe (23-U2)

In 1964, Alfred Adler introduced a new theory in the field of psychology. He put forth the idea that birth order shapes a child’s development and personality. 

Many of us can probably relate to instances where our siblings' behaviour or even our own personality traits and actions are simply written off as typical “older sibling” behaviour.

There are plenty of assumptions that come  with your designated “birth order” . For example, the middle child is always a peacemaker, the youngest is the most rebellious and the oldest is a perfectionist, to just name a few. Much like astrology, these associated character traits seem to be something everyone could possibly relate to. This begs the question: Is there any truth to Adler’s theory?

The oldest child is said to be very goal oriented and stubborn. The first born is the only child in the family that has their parents fully to themselves before their siblings are born. The parents are also completely new to the job of parenting and to err on the side of caution, they tend to be more strict in raising their first born compared to the younger siblings, and generally set higher expectations. As a result, the first born tends to be more responsible than their fellow siblings. When the second child is born, the first child takes on a parental role for their sibling, leading to traits such as being outspoken and bossy being developed. 

The middle child is often associated with having to compromise and share with their siblings, in particular  the attention of their parents. It could stem from the fact that their standing in the family constantly changes, having once been the youngest child at one point before eventually becoming an older sibling for another child. As a result of this need to constantly adapt to their family situation, they can be associated with traits such as being a great negotiator, funny, and generally socially adept. However, being constantly within their siblings' shadows can also lead to middle children developing a rebellious personality.

On the other side of the spectrum, only children are said to have their parent’s attention all to themselves, not having to learn to share with siblings or fight for anything. In spite of this, being the only child in the family inherently leads to a very large familial responsibility similar to that of the oldest sibling, where they also need to learn to figure things out on their own. As a result, it can lead to them having traits such as being independent and ambitious, but their lack of siblings may result in them being self absorbed. 

The youngest child, being the last born in the family, has a tendency to be much more rebellious than the other siblings in the family. This is driven by a desire to attain recognition outside of what their older siblings have already achieved. They have only ever experienced a childhood with their older siblings present, and their parents tend to go easier on them as they have become more experienced parents from raising their first child. This leads to traits such as a high degree of openness, being very sociable and charming but also self centred. 

Ultimately, one may ask, is there any truth to these stereotypes? We would say to not take these assumptions and pigeonholing too seriously. While the situation that you grow up in would definitely affect the way you act, the circumstances will ever be the same for each person. According to many researchers, birth order does not manifest itself in any tangible personality difference amongst adults, however, the differences are more prevalent at a younger age. Birth order does not shape your person, but it is always fun to read about isn't it?