Birth Order and Personality

Paper Summary:

The paper researches the theory of birth order and personality development and shows how the theory of birth order can only be positively identified with poor families because of financial insecurities that occur with a greater number of children. The paper relates that one specific element cannot alone create the personality of a child; environment, birth order, society, the family ideals and economic factors all affect a person. The paper concludes that, while the concept of birth order in regard to personality development can be applied to some children, it is not a universal standard that explains the complete personality of all people.

From the Paper:

"The idea of personality development being affected by the order that a child is born into the family has been debated for decades. Some researchers suggest that when there is more than one child in the home the children will take on certain personality characteristics simply because of when they were born in relation to other children. Yet, other researchers suggest that the concept of birth order and personality development cannot be proven, or is only evident in poor families. Furthermore, within the debate is the insistence that what many researchers focus upon as birth order affecting children's personalities is actually environmental factors that have not been considered. Because the debate surrounding this issue is so vast, it is apparent that no one common factor can measure the personality development of a child because each child is subjected to his or her own world, which is filled with elements impacting personality."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Conley, D. (2004). The pecking order: Which siblings succeed and why. New York: Pantheon.
• Harrow, J., Rippert, S., and Scheenwind, K. (1998). Personality and family development: An intergenerational longitudinal comparison. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum.
• Jenkins, R., and Thurstone, L. (1931). Order of birth, parent-age and intelligence. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
• Sullaway, F. (1997). Born to rebel: Birth order, family dynamics and creative lives. New York: Vintage.

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