Birth Order and Personality

Paper Summary:

The paper researches the extent to which birth order affects one's attitude and actions toward life. The paper examines many theories, including those of F.J. Sulloway, D. Conley and B. Dattner on the first-born, second-born, middle children, youngest child and only children. The paper also looks at the other variables that influence personality and emphasizes that birth order is only one element of the subject's background. The paper proposes research to determine whether birth order or other factors are valuable for inspiring personality and style, as well as whether birth order has any bearing on life goals.

Outline:
Sulloway's Theories
Conley's and Others'Theories
Dattner and Theories about the First-born
Second-born
Middle Children
Youngest Child
Only Children
Genetic Factors
Special Circumstances and Variables
Research Strategy
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Alfred Adler (1870-1937), an Austrian psychiatrist, was one of the first theorists to suggest that birth order has an enormous affect on an individual's style of life, friendship, love, and work. But ever since Adler proposed that there are birth order personalities, other studies have been devised that prove additional factors may influence a child's attitude and adjustment as he or she grows to be an adult. These other strong factors are: parental attitudes; organ inferiority, illness, and disability; gender confusion; or social, economic and religious circumstances."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Birth order. (2007). Child Development. Retrieved June 9, 2007 from http://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/development/birth_order.htm
• Blanchard, Ray. 1997. "Birth Order and Sibling Sex Ratio in Homosexual versus Heterosexual Males and Females", Annual Review of Sex Research, 8, 27-67.
• Conley, D. (2004). The Pecking Order: Which Siblings Succeed and Why. New York, Pantheon.
• Dattner, B. (2007). Birth Order and Personality In The Workplace. New York:.Dattner Consulting, LLC. http://www.dattnerconsulting.com/presentations/birthorder.pdf.
• John, Oliver P. 1990. "The 'Big Five' Factor Taxonomy: Dimensions of Personality in the Natural Language and in Questionnaires", in Pervin, L.A., ed., Handbook of Personality: Theory and Research. New York: Guilford, pp. 66-100.

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