Does Birth Order Affect Personality Traits?

This video describes the theory that birth order affects personality traits. A central concept in Adlerian theory is the idea that birth order is tied to personality traits. Adler believed that a first child was more likely to be a natural leader, self-centered and neurotic, the middle child would be more likely to be rebellious and independent, and the youngest child would be more outgoing and immature. Evidence suggests that birth order is not associated with personality traits.
A popular way to conceptualize personality is with the five-factor model of personality traits, which is also known as “The Big Five” model of personality. In this model, personality comprises five personality traits: openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. The acronym OCEAN is helpful for remembering the personality traits. Openness to experience is characterized by insight, creativity, an appreciation of art, intellectual curiosity, and a high awareness of feelings. Conscientiousness is characterized by impulse control, planning tasks carefully, being highly organized and prudence. Extraversion is characterized by getting energy from social interaction, talkativeness, and having a large number of acquaintances. Agreeableness is characterized by being cooperative, increased level of caring, empathy, friendly, seeking to compromise. Neuroticism is characterized by mood dysregulation, anxiety, worry, depression, frustrating, nervousness, being easily upset, and low emotional stability.

[LesliWebandMediaSvcsonYouTube]

I was assigned this video to watch for my graduate class in current psycho therapies - thanks for the info!

[brandystuart]

Gosh, where do I begin in thanking you for your info. I do a video a day and then spend hrs for searching to WHO AM I. I am taking you videos in order to find myself after parents were Dysfunctional Adult Children themselves. I score 9/10 on ACE test also. So I thought I did all the childhood trauma 20 yrs ago. But why did I still have so many neurosis traits in myself. I found out thru accident your Covert Narcissist video. The light bulbs went off!!!! I was unaware my loving husband hits 9/10 on the Narcissist Trait Listing video you have. I kicked him out and journalizing out my pain followed up by meditation twice daily. I am feeling much more calm and confident. Thank you for giving me these tools of knowledge. Always and forever...

[ladybug]

I just found your channel and there's a lot of interesting viewpoints and information. For me personally although I realize it's not scientific evidence the people I've known closely throughout my life to a very large degree exhibit their birth order traits and not just in adolescence but that have carried through to the 30s and 40s. Few examples--- someone I know is the eldest of four - he definitely has a much stronger need for and belief in family loyalty and is really the one sibling who helps the elderly parents 90% of the time, his two middle siblings seem to feel not much obligation to helping care for their elderly parents and the youngest tends to be kind of free spirit and not concerned at all about the very things the oldest one is--- if there is a family function the eldest feels a sense of duty to show up while the youngest generally doesn't care about duty and does his own thing.
In my family I am also the oldest and am the most traditional and when it comes to it loyal - while my two younger sibs feel free to skip out on many holidays even if I don't really want to go I feel this sense of responsibility to go.
With a friend of mine an only child is really high achieving and when he was still really young related to adults better and more at ease than other kids- isnthis because he was used to being a kid around adults in only child house?

[MD]

Your explanation of this model of the three children fits me and my siblings perfectly

[lunaticcowgirl]

Great explanation. I always look forward to your videos because of the quality of your explanations. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[jacqui]

I’d love to hear your take on if common impressions about only children are supported by evidence. Thanks for your bingeworthy videos Dr. Grande!

[ryanixxi]

Is there a list of references somewhere?

[KoolT]

You're so brilliant. Love all your work.

[MD]

As the youngest in my family I will say yes first and then watch the video. And I say yes because I can usually pick the youngest sibling because of their character. Even at work I can guess whether someome is oldest or youngest all from their personality. Middle children are harder to see but I'm getting better at spotting them

[traciehigginsChaCha]

I guess if you take time to scour the videos you find what you’re looking for! 😊 I’m really shocked by the science that found no significant differences in birth order. I raised 4 children and I found that my first born did fit that profile of an overachiever and a leader. Did they consider the number of years between siblings? Very interested to learn more about this. 😊 I will be watching the other videos on this I’ve really enjoyed them. Thank you

[Neellohit]

Maybe the results tie into the whole nature vs nurture debate. I would also be curious on whether personality and the role people play in their relationships are separate things and if birth order impacts the latter.

[jamesfrancis]

Birth order seems secondary, sort of a correlation does not equal causation problem. For example, first time mothers tend to be more anxious, unsure and overprotective, so there could be a loose Association with these traits.

[jaynedavis]

That’s odd because my eldest sister is super responsible, my middle sister is the “look at me” overachiever & I’m the youngest (highest IQ which I’m only mentioning because of that 1 IQ point). I’m immature, creative & “spoiled” according to my older sisters

[flecktarn]

I've seen a study that "extreme" positions of birth order (i.e. first born, last born, only child) show a higher incidence of psychopathy and criminal behavior, with first born being particularly prone, as conducted on inmates of prisons, but I guess this data could well have been corrected over time, the study seemed to be old.

[MD]

I still believe that birth order does have an effect but it's not really the birth order that is having the effect but the way Society treats People based on their position in the family

[morganhinton]

I remember taking this test in college, and scoring high on the neuroticism scale, my professor likened it to being like a Woody Allen character and predicted I would be likely to divorce😂🙄 Thankfully, I have learned how to cope better with stressors as I have aged and am not so emotional or insecure as I once was, but I do have to watch myself sometimes, and ask myself if I am overreacting, And thankfully, after almost 10 years, my marriage is still strong. So there's hope!

[LoziPop]

Even without this video, I would find it hard to believe the 1st born would have any extra perks/developments. As a 1st born myself, and I know not all, but surely a sizable percentage of other 1st borns, would have had the same Guinea pig experience I had. Even parents who try for years for children, spend months preparing, have zero idea what they are actually in for when the child arrive. Or even if they are on the same page. The 1st childs is often raised with guess work, if you're lucky. 2nd 3rd etc, at least get parents who have some experience under their belt. Though whether thats better or worse for them, would need a person by person analysis. In my own family dynamic. Being 3rd or even last, would have been a much more pleasant experience

[MD]

True my oldest sibling is intelligent but I, the youngest am more intelligent then my 3 siblings and they have admitted it