"How being the firstborn, middle child, last-born, or only child may affect your behavior more than you think."
Chapter 2 briefly discusses Alfred Adler's views on birth order and the development of personality. Should you choose to explore more about how birth order affects personality development, please complete the following:
- Read this article.
- Summarize what you've read.
- Discuss whether you fit these assumptions, based on your own family structure. For example, if you are a first born, do you have the characteristics of first born individuals according to this article? How do your siblings compare to the stereotypes?
- How much do you think a child's personality development is a product of their biological birth order as opposed to environmental forces (i.e., the way their parents raise them)?
The article “Birth Order and Personality” discusses how personality can be affected by birth order. It explains how first-born children are usually the perfectionists, while the middle children are the rebellious ones, and the babies of the families are the “free-spirited ones.” The article also discusses how events such as adoption and remarriage can affect children’s personality. With adoption, the article discusses how age of adoption plays a role in personality development. If the child is adopted early, he or she will likely take on the role of baby of the family, but if the child is older when he or she is adopted, he or she will be more adapt to take on the role of first-born. Finally, the article discusses how personality develops in only children. The article discusses how only children may be more mature for their age, and enjoy spending time with adults over peers their own age.
ReplyDeleteI would say that I very much fit the assumptions of a first-born child. I am an extreme perfectionists and achiever. Everything came fairly easy to me growing up, but when something did not, I use to get extremely upset about it because I could not do it perfectly right away. I am also extremely cautious to this day. I also feel like I possess some of the traits of an only child also. I was mature for my age when I was little and extremely spoiled, but that may have also had to do with the fact that I went to grandma’s for daycare so I spent a lot of time around adults instead of children my own age. When I was little, I knew exactly how to get my way. I do feel like my sisters fit the personality assumptions. My middle sister is the rebellious one, and my little sister is the fun-loving, outgoing one. My little sister also fits the assumptions of an only child also because she is so much younger than me and my other sister. She pretty much has been an only child at home since she was five because I went to college and my other sister never left her room.
Truthfully, I think personality is more a product of the way that their parents raise them then having to do with birth order. Usually first-borns are pushed harder and fussed over more than later children because parents do not want to make mistakes with their first-borns, but by the second and third children, parents realize that it is okay to make mistakes and let children do what they want. I think birth order does affect personality in some ways. Like the article stated middle children have to fight for attention from their parents because of the other siblings, so they may become rebellious to gain the attention.
The article "Birth Order and Personality" discusses the different roles and personalities that birth order can bring about in children and later on in adulthood. The first, middle, last, and only child born are discussed in the way that they may act differently based on when they were born and how they interact with their parents or possibly other older siblings. Another aspect that is discussed is the subject of how birth order is used in the circumstances of blended families, gap children, and adoption. Based on the years in between children and new additions to a family, birth order can be altered. Each child in the different category of birth order tend to have different personality characteristics. A first born child tends to act more as an adult and mature because they like to please their parents and other older adults around them. A middle child will have a slight rebellious along with the characteristics they accumulate from being around their other siblings. The last born child tends to be the attention-seeker who wants to be noticed and stand out from their other siblings. The only child is usually sophisticated and understands adult humor and remarks because they are not around other siblings or children for a majority of their day like other children who have siblings. The main gist of this article is to compare and contrast how birth order may effect the personalities of the children and how these personalities play into their adulthood characteristics.
ReplyDeleteIn my family I am the first born child. After looking through the characteristics and personalities that a lot of first born children have, I agree that I possess a lot of these characteristics. The only one that I find myself not having is being controlling because I do not tend to be the one controlling a situation or wanting to. I find myself being a follower rather than a leader. I do, however, find myself being reliable and wanting to be an achiever. I also tend to be a cautious person with new surroundings and things that I am unsure of. I fit those personalities of a first born. I have one sibling who is seven years younger than me. This would mean that she is a gap child who can also be seen as a first born. I see her as having some of the characteristics of a first born and a last born. She is structured but kind of controlling but she is also definitely an attention-seeker and outgoing. She likes to be in charge of a situation and does not easily back down and she is also very active in sports and has been for almost her entire life. I believe that my sister possesses the personalities of both a first and last born because she is a gap child.
I believe that a child's personality development is a mixture of birth order and how their parent's raise them. If they are an only child, I see the parent's influence being more influential to their personality since they are not around siblings every day. How their parent's act will mold them based on how they treat them. I think if there are more than one child in the family, birth order and the parent's influence play a part because the amount of attention a child gets from parents can play a part in how they act. I also think that the personalities of the other siblings in the family create the personalities of the different birth orders which may be formed in the children. The siblings effect how each other will act and treat each other. I see sibling dominance as being a main influence in seeking attention or trying to be the mature older sibling. Overall, I believe that both birth order and how their parent's raise them can effect how a child's personality is developed.
The article can be summed up by what a lot of us have already know about the birth order. It is always common for the eldest child to be wanting more attention from there parents. They are the oldest and want to set the example for the younger children. When you have a family of multiple children, one child will always seem like they are not getting as much attention as the others. The oldest is the first born and the pride and joy of most parents, the youngest is the baby and parent's are always over protective of them so they take that role of always wanting the attention of their parents.
ReplyDeleteAs far as if I fit into this article or not...I am the oldest and have one younger brother. For most of what they explained about being the oldest is true for me. Although I am not a perfectionist, I am very reliable, very cautious, and am always more at ease with older people. My brother on the other hand is a perfectionist, everything has to be in order, every minute of his day has to be planned out, he has achieved more by the age of 25 with education then I ever was, he isn't much for attention, he would rather everybody look at me and talk about me than himself. The thing is we have 6 years between us so it is a huge gap between us.
My parents' raised us as equals. We never thought either one of us was better than the other one. We never looked at the fact that I was older or he was the baby. We were brothers and we have so much in common. If parents pay the same amount of attention to each child, do over celebrate anyone accomplishment more than another one the children will all grow up with out the rebellious, attention getting attitude. For me and my brother he learned a lot from me, seeing what not to do but I know I probably showed him several bad habits that helped him get away with more things as a teenager than I ever got away with, but he knew that if I found out I did play that older sibling role of telling him he messed up and he disappointed me.
I could not help but laugh at how accurate all of these descriptions were of my family. I am the middle child of three girls, and I always give my parents a hard time about being the “forgotten” child. August 12th is national middle child day, and I gave my parents an especially hard time about it on that day. Sometimes, I feel sorry that my family has to put up with me. Although that is not particularly true in my family, statistics (including information in this article) show that the middle child often feels left out. I possess all of the characteristics listed under the middle child including people-pleaser, somewhat rebellious, thrives on friendships, large social circle, and peacemaker. I definitely like to keep the peace between friends and family. I thrive on my close friendships and would do anything for my closest friends. My weekends are typically spent working or visiting my closest friends. I am also somewhat rebellious in the fact that I accept almost any challenge and absolutely love proving people wrong. If someone tells me that I cannot do something for whatever reason, I will go out of my way to prove him or her wrong. My junior year in high school was definitely the most rebellious.
ReplyDeleteAs for my older and younger sister, the characteristics listed fit their personalities very well. I disagree with a couple of the characteristics in the last-born category, because I do not believe my sister to be self-centered or an attention-seeker all of the time. She is quite giving and often puts others before herself.
As for the nature and nurture debate, I believe personality comes from a little of both. Parts of a person’s personality may be simple genetics and passed down from his or her parents. A trait such as athleticism may be from simple nature, but the desire to achieve at a particular sport may be from nurture. When I tell my mother that she worries too much, she always says, “you’ll find out when you have children how much you worry about them.” Others always say “one day you will end up exactly as your parents.” When I was younger, I thought that was impossible that I would never be like that with my children, but as I grow older, I would be more than honored to be like my parents.
The article "Birth Order and Personality" discusses the personality types of people compared to their birth order. The author lists several characteristics for the first born. Some of these characteristics are reliable, being a leader, structured, cautious, controlling, and achievers. The middle children have characteristics of being people-pleasers, somewhat rebellious, thrives on friendship, has a large social circle, and peacemakers, Lastly, the last born has characteristics as being fun-loving, manipulative, uncomplicated, outgoing, attention-seekers, and self-centered. The author of this article also talks about the how being adopted and being an only child affects a person's personality type.
ReplyDeleteI find that what this article says to be somewhat true according to my own families characteristics. The oldest child in my family is controlling and has to have everything her way. She is not reliable at all. I am one of the middle children and I am more of a perfectionist. I like to please others and help others. I am not really that rebellious, I follow the rules most of the time. I also do not think I have a very big social circle. The actual middle child in my family has more of the characterists that the article lists. She has a big social circle and she is rebellious at times. She is also pretty layed back. The next in my family is also a middle child. He keeps more to himself and isn't very open. He is pretty rebellious and doesn't always follow the rules. His friends seem to be pretty important to him. The baby of our family is pretty outgoing. She is not uncomplicated or manipulative. She doesn't always follow the rules.
I think that birth order does play somewhat of a role in a child's personality development. I believe that a person's personality comes more from environmental forces and the way that their parents raised them. I think that a person's sibilings and friends also play a role in ones personality.
This article is all about the birth order of children. We all know children will act and grow up differently depending on their birth order. This article also talks about how being an only child, a blended family, adopted, or having a gap between children can also affect how the children act. I am an only child and I somewhat agree with the assumptions made about an only child. I would consider myself mature for my age and I am also a perfectionist. I am a very conscientious and diligent person. I would consider myself as a leader only sometimes. I am a shy person so sometimes I don't like to be the first person to do something. I think environmental forces play a big role on a child's personality. Children copy what they see and learn from what they are taught or from observation so I think what kind of person they grow up to be really depends on how they are raised rather than their birth order.
ReplyDeleteThe article explained the characteristics associated with the order of which children are born. For instance the eldest is the more mature and studios child. Them mild child is a people-pleaser and the youngest is known to be very loud and outgoing. I found this article to be so accurate. I only have one older sister and the description was perfect. She is complete perfectionist and very cautious. I however am very outgoing and as a child I craved attention. I loved being listened to... and I still do! I think the environment definitely plays a factor in this. It is expected that the oldest sibling be a leader and role model where as the youngest usually becomes very dependent on there family. I think that birth order most definitely plays a role in a child's behavior. I think its because we expect things from each child so they adapt to those expectations. I believe its more how parents raise children.
ReplyDeleteThis article discusses the effect your birth order has on your personality. I’m sure everyone has looked into this before and thought, “That fits me exactly!” or “That’s not me at all…” Don’t worry, there are several other factors that contribute to your personality. According to Meri Wallace, “Some of it has to do with the way the parent relates to the child in his spot, and some of it actually happens because of the spot itself. Each spot has unique challenges.” I personally believe that birth order is an extremely vague description of your personality that serves as the very basic framework of who you are. It doesn’t define you as a person because your personality consists of several characteristics that are influenced by environmental forces. Where/when/how you were raised, the lifestyle you live, life events you’ve experienced, etc. are the key contributors to your overall personality.
ReplyDeleteBased on my family structure I would fall under the last born category. The adjectives used to describe my birth order seem fairly fitting, but not entirely. I am definitely an outgoing and uncomplicated person, so the adult description of the lastborn is a good representation of the way I am. However, I have not always been this way throughout life. As a child I was extremely shy and unwelcome to attention, much like the description of the first born. My older brother, on the other hand, is the exact opposite of me. As a child he was an outgoing attention-seeker who would talk to anyone. As he grew up he became more reserved and required a little bit of time before opening up to others. Overall, you could say that my brother and I did not fit our birth orders during childhood, but rather grew into them later in life.
The article "Birth Order and Personality" discusses the different types of personalities that people have depending on their birth order. The article also talked about the personality of a person who is an only child. The author lists several characteristics in each of the birth orders.
ReplyDeleteI am a first born child out of four children. and I do fit the assumptions that are based in this article. As a first born I am reliable, structured, and I am an achiever. I am very goal oriented, so I will do whatever it takes for me to reach my goals. The assumptions about the middle child and the lastborn are spot on in my family as well. The middle children in my family are definitely the people pleasers and the peacemakers of the family. They do everything that they can do please my family and make my family happy. The lastborn in my family is fun-loving and an attention-seeker for sure.
I believe that a child's personality development is a product of their biological birth order, but I also think that personality comes from how your parents raised you. A person's personality can change so I also think that if someone really wants to change their personality then it is up to them, and they can.
The article “Birth Order and Personality” explains personality being affected by birth order. How they’re raised along with birth order give some say as to what their personalities will be like as adults. Firstborns will be more structured and controlling. Middle children will be people pleasers and thrive on relationships. The youngest child may be manipulative and attention-seekers. Only children, on the other hand, may be mature for their age and perfectionists. There are a few exceptions to the birth order structure. Blended families may affect the personality based on birth order. Families within families (twins) will always be different as well. Gap children are another exception because the birth order structure is so far apart. Adoption is the last exception discussed based on age of adoption. The conclusion of the article, however, is that personality is never fixed.
ReplyDeleteBased on these assumptions about birth order and personality, I believe that they are true concerning my family. I am the eldest and can be very controlling and structural. As for my (only) little sister, she learned how to manipulate my parents and attention seek.
I believe a child’s personality development is a product of their environmental forces more so than biological birth order. If they were somewhat raised in a household where they were oldest, middle, or youngest child, they will more than likely succumb to these assumptions. If taken out of the household for adoption, or put in a blended family situation young enough, they will take on these roles instead. It all depends on the situation they are in until their personality is mostly established by age 5, in my opinion, because I believe the personality development has mostly to do with environmental forces.
Jocelyn Voo goes on to explain how your birth order can affect your personality. Voo describes the first born, middle, and last born children’s personalities.
ReplyDeleteThe first born is said to be reliable, conscientious, structured, cautious, controlling, and an achiever. She says that the first born children tend to be more mature and enjoy the company of older friends or adults to their peers. This could have to do with the first born being the experiment child for the parents. The firstborn has all the attention of the parents at first, so the parents may try to be the best parents ever and be strict. Unlike the first born the middle child tends to be more of a people pleaser probably due to not being the center of attention like the baby or first born. Also the middle child can be somewhat rebellious, have a large social circle, be the peacemaker, and also thrives on friendships. The parents may be more laid back with this child, because they've had some practice with the first one and have stuff figured out a little more the second time around. The last born are said to be fun loving, uncomplicated, manipulative, outgoing, attention seeking, and self-centered. The last born is usually the center of attention just like the first born because they are the newest member of the family. Voo also describes the only child. These children tend to be mature for their age, perfectionists, conscientious, diligent, and leaders. Only children have all of the attention and support of the parents focused on them at all. There are exceptions to the birth order structure such as: blended families, gap children, and, adoption. The children that are just thrown into the order will not take on that role if it is not originally theirs. That is the same with adopted children; it depends a lot on their age.
I am the first born in my family and I would say that I fit the description pretty well. I am a leader and like that position, I also am very structured and organized and would prefer my way of doing things to other peoples. My sister is the last born, but she doesn't really fit the description. She is more like me, she’s not attention seeking or self-centered, but more of a leader that is more open than me to other peoples ways of doing things.
I think that the birth order has a little to do with peoples personalities just because the first born is the experiment child and has a lot of attention on them. I also think that how your parents raise you has a larger effect on your personality than your birth order.
Jocelyn Voo goes on to explain how your birth order can affect your personality. Voo describes the first born, middle, and last born children’s personalities.
ReplyDeleteThe first born is said to be reliable, conscientious, structured, cautious, controlling, and an achiever. She says that the first born children tend to be more mature and enjoy the company of older friends or adults to their peers. This could have to do with the first born being the experiment child for the parents. The firstborn has all the attention of the parents at first, so the parents may try to be the best parents ever and be strict. Unlike the first born the middle child tends to be more of a people pleaser probably due to not being the center of attention like the baby or first born. Also the middle child can be somewhat rebellious, have a large social circle, be the peacemaker, and also thrives on friendships. The parents may be more laid back with this child, because they've had some practice with the first one and have stuff figured out a little more the second time around. The last born are said to be fun loving, uncomplicated, manipulative, outgoing, attention seeking, and self-centered. The last born is usually the center of attention just like the first born because they are the newest member of the family. Voo also describes the only child. These children tend to be mature for their age, perfectionists, conscientious, diligent, and leaders. Only children have all of the attention and support of the parents focused on them at all. There are exceptions to the birth order structure such as: blended families, gap children, and, adoption. The children that are just thrown into the order will not take on that role if it is not originally theirs. That is the same with adopted children; it depends a lot on their age.
I am the first born in my family and I would say that I fit the description pretty well. I am a leader and like that position, I also am very structured and organized and would prefer my way of doing things to other peoples. My sister is the last born, but she doesn't really fit the description. She is more like me, she’s not attention seeking or self-centered, but more of a leader that is more open than me to other peoples ways of doing things.
I think that the birth order has a little to do with peoples personalities just because the first born is the experiment child and has a lot of attention on them. I also think that how your parents raise you has a larger effect on your personality than your birth order.
I think this article makes complete sense. You are how you are because of how you were raised. If you were raised with your parents giving you everything and not saying no to you then you will expect everyone to be that way towards you, but if your parents taught you that you have to work for things then you will know how to get the things you really want instead of just being handed everything.
ReplyDeleteI am the oldest child in my family, I just have one younger brother. I can see how the traits listed for the first child are some of the ways that I act. I consider myself to be a reliable person, my mom always says you can count on me. It also said the first child acts as a mini-adult, and when it comes to my brother, I am like a mom. I will not let anyone say anything about him and will make sure that I know what he is doing. He may think its annoying but I cant help but be that protective sister! And for the my brother he fits right in with the middle child traits. He has a huge social circle and is such a people please, I swear everyone likes him. But when it come to achieving more, we are both always trying to out do the other one, in everything we do. But I think that is just part on how my parents raise us. We didn't get things we wanted all the time, but now I think that is a good thing because you need to be able to know how to work to get the things you want in life.
This article discusses the psychology of birth order and how it often affects personality. I really enjoyed reading this article because it made me laugh at how accurate the descriptions are in regard to my siblings. My oldest brother definitely fits the mold of first-born child. He is definitely an achiever, a perfectionist, and very responsible. He's always been mature for his age and always strives for the best.
ReplyDeleteMy other brother also fits the description for "middle child". He was definitely rebellious growing up, always vying for attention while being outshone by my oldest brother. He does NOT like to be told what to do and also has a large social circle.
My younger sister is ten years younger than I am, so for much of my life, I identified as the youngest child. However, I then took on the role of middle child, so I have strong characteristics of both. Like a youngest child, I'm fun-loving and outgoing, but like a middle child, I'm a people-pleaser who thrives on friendships. A weakness is, like my older brother, I also do not like to be told what to do and often prefer to do things my way.
My baby sister is definitely a youngest child, but because all of us were mostly out of the house by the time she was growing up, she also has characteristics of an only child. She's fun-loving and outgoing and definitely loves being the center of attention, like a typical youngest child. However, like an only child, she is a perfectionist, very conscientious, and a born leader.
I think the dynamic of birth order applies, but also the environment of how children are raised is also important in personality development. I've always been interested in family dynamics and how it psychologically affects people over a lifetime, so I've really enjoyed reading this article!
The article talks about birth order and the differences in personality depending on where you're born in the order. It also discusses only children and the personalities they typically have and the exceptions to birth order personalities such as adoption and blended families.
ReplyDeleteI found this article somewhat accurate when comparing it to myself and my siblings, but in a way I think we were born 'out of order'.
I'm the middle child, I have an older sister and a younger sister and we're all fairly close in age. My older sister is reliable, but not necessarily a perfectionist or controlling. She's very laid back and doesn't let much bother her. In some ways I feel like I posses more of the 'oldest child qualities' I'm much more of a perfectionist and controlling and not so much rebellious or super social as they describe the qualities of a middle child. I many times feel like the peacemaker and I tend to strive to be a people pleaser, so in that aspect I have the qualities of a middle child. My younger sister doesn't necessarily fit the bill of a youngest child either, she's not super outing, she doesn't like being the center of attention but she does know how to get her way with our parents as the baby of the family. I think part of the reason why my sisters and I don't necessarily fit the descriptions of our birth order roles is because we're so close in age, I think if there was more of a gap my older sister would feel more authoritative over me and my younger sister would be forces to be more outgoing instead of hiding in mine and my older sisters shadows.
This article was very interesting, and now I'm more curious as to why my sisters and I don't exactly fit the roles of our birth order!
This article started with discussing with how each child is not going to be the same as the other, if they have siblings. Also, when a person is an only child, their personality will be different from those people who have siblings. The personalities can turn out to be different, because of the way are parented growing up.
ReplyDeleteIn my family, it is always a huge joke about me being the middle child and yet acting like I am the oldest. I really enjoyed reading this article, especially since it was accurate in some cases when describing me family.
I am the middle child in my family, I have an older brother and a younger sister. My older brother is not much like what they described. He was the one who was more rebellious when we were growing up and I was the one who was more cautious and to this day, I after reading this article, I realized most of my closet friends are a few years older than me. Though, when it comes to my little sister, she is definitely like they described when it comes to the youngest. She is so fun-loving, literally everyone who meets her just loves her! She also always knows how to get her way when it comes to my parents!
I did really enjoy this article especially when I can see how all of it would fit and relate to how the birth order and parenting styles.
This article discusses how the order in which children are born affects their personality. The oldest is usually a people pleaser and always want to be the best. The first born was a trial and error period for the parents and they are usually more strict with rules. The middle child doesn't get as much attention because now there are two kids that need attention. The middle child is usually a bit more rebellious. The youngest is the baby of the family. The parents are usually most relaxed and laid back with their third child. The youngest is usually outgoing and can be manipulative.
ReplyDeleteI am the oldest of 3 girls in my family. We are all seven years apart; 19, 12, and 5. I agree being the oldest I got a lot of attention that maybe my younger sister didn't get right away. I am pretty controlling but that's about the only characteristic I share with the article. My younger sister is definitely a people pleaser. She also has a small rebellious side. My youngest sister fits the article perfect. She may be only five but she is quite the manipulator. She loves the attention but mostly because I love to give her lots of attention. Shes the most outgoing one of us all. So my family fits the article pretty well.
This article entitled Birth Order and Personality by Jocelyn Voo discussed how personality traits vary within families depending on your birth order. This article broke down the categories into first born, middle, last born, and only child. It then described some of the characteristics that each individual can obtain and then what they are like as children and adults. The first born is the leader of the pack, while the middle child is the people pleaser, the baby of the family is free spirited, and the only child is the super firstborn.
ReplyDeleteI come from a family of four. I have one older brother, and two younger sisters which makes me that magnificent middle child. I would definitely agree that I am a people pleaser, thrives off of quality friendships, peacemaker, but I think the rebellious quality got lost somewhere. I am the first girl so I also see myself with qualities of the first born such as reliable and structured. My brother is very laid back and easy going so he needs someone to keep him in line. I would certainly have to agree with the other qualities described for my siblings. My sisters are 16 and 14 so they are very close in age but as my sidekick in the middle child category, Heather definitely picked up the rebellious quality that I left behind. My baby sister is the most outgoing one in our family. She constantly has a smile on her face and is always willing to share a joke. I would disagree with the fact that she is self centered as she has a huge heart and loves seeing others happy.
I think birth order personality is very vivid when it comes to the ways in which they were raised by their parents. The oldest siblings always had so much responsibility when it came to making sure the little ones were taken care of while the babies have all the time in the world. The oldest siblings have to encompass a strong leadership quality because the parents look towards them to set a strong image for those growing up in their shadow. My parents did an amazing job raising my siblings and myself. No matter how different we all are there is never a dull moment and I am very thankful for that.
This article talks about the birth order and how that may affect children's personalities. The first born child is normally a perfectionist. Leading to the middle child being more rebellious. Then the last child, the baby is more free spirited. The article also mentioned children who are adopted, in blended families, or single child. Adopted children may have to take on a role of a younger child even if they are older. And in blended families the older siblings will continue in that roll and help out as the oldest sibling.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this article, I could not help but laugh to myself by seeing the similarities. I am the baby in my family and do find myself to be more free spirited and outgoing than my sister. My sister is also more prestigious than I am. She graduate high school with summa cum luade. My parents always compared us to each other saying that we are both able to do the same things. Then I always had my sister saying how I got by with everything since I was the baby.
After seeing these similarities so vivid in a study I am conflicted between the two. I can see through the research that the birth order does have impact on the child's personality. A child can not help the way they feel in regards to their siblings. For example, the middle child is always torn for attention from the first child and the new baby. So in order to get attention they may be more rebellious. Then on the other hand parents are still learning how to raise the first child as it stated in the article. Then once the parents get comfortable raising children they may be more relaxed with their rules. So once the parent figures out how to raise their children the fight for attention may decline.
This article describes how birth order can contribute to personality traits. It states that an individual’s birth order can have an impact on how they behave. The article also discusses some exceptions to these rules including adoption and blended families. Most personality traits develop extremely early in life, usually by the time a child is five years old. However, these traits are not fixed, implying they can change. Additionally, research has been unable to uncover exactly who has the greatest influence on shaping traits, peers, siblings or parents.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was growing up, I definitely fit the stereotypical first born. I was a perfectionist and an over achiever. My brother, the youngest born also fit his stereotype, but as we have grown older, we have both changed. My brother now acts more like a first born. He is very conscientious of achieving what my parents would like him to. In contrast, I have become more laid back.
Based on my personal change, I do not think birth order alone controls an individual’s personality. Additionally, I believe the roles peers and siblings play in shaping personality should be further researched. My brother’s personality changed when I left for college. I was no longer there, so my influence was minimized. I also changed when I came to college and met new people, establishing a new friend base.
The article about the order in which children are born starts by explaining how siblings are so different even though they share the same genes. It also states that parents treat their children differently because of birth order. The article continues to state the first born child will be more of a leader and perfectionist based on the strictness of new parents. On the reverse side the second child may become more of a people pleaser based on competition for attention. As a younger child first born children are more controlling of younger siblings, they dislike being around others their age. As adults the article gives the example of a woman who strictly wants to be the best at everything. Middle children are most likely to be more social and friendship based. The middle child is different because they can take traits from the first born but still be the second born. Also with the middle child, if they are female and the first born is male they could possibly take on first born characteristics because they are the first child of that gender. The youngest child is most likely to be attention-seekers, fun loving, and manipulative. Only children are perfectionist, conscious, and leaders. It then continues to explain blended families and how they do not get along they fight and are filled with drama. I fit the part of the first born child almost perfectly. I am super reliable not only with work and school but with my friends. I also love being the best at everything. I like hanging out with people of other ages especially older and I was also was a very cautious individual in high school. I think that a child’s birth order is extremely reflective on their personality. Not only because of the order of birth but because of the way their parents react after each new child present.
ReplyDeleteThis article discusses birth order and personality. Researchers suggest that birth order and parenting styles shapes a child’s personality. For example, parents treat their first born as a trial and error experiment. Their parenting style will in turn affect the child’s behavior forever. When they have another child, they will probably be more easy-going. The article goes on to discuss each birth order position and the characteristics associated with each position. For each birth order position, firstborn, middle child, last born, and only child, the author discusses the position from a children and grown-up view. Then, the author describes a few exceptions to the traditional birth order structure. For example, blended families cause children to potentially experience a new position in the family, impacting their behavior and personality. Lastly, the author reveals that personality is not fixed so it up to you to make the choice to change.
ReplyDeleteI am the last born child in my family, but don’t fit the assumption of being self-centered and manipulative. I am definitely outgoing and fun-loving though. My brother, the first born, does not act like a “mini-adult”, nor is he structured or an achiever. My brother is very timid and cautious though.
I believe a child’s personality is definitely a product of environmental forces rather than birth order. I think that birth order affects a child, but doesn’t play that large of a role.
In the article, the writer describes attributes of first-born children, middle children, and the youngest child. First-born and only children tend to be leaders and achievers, middle children tend to be people pleasers, while youngest tend to be outgoing and manipulative. The article describes how these traits usually carry on into adulthood. The article also describes blended family dynamics as well as age gaps and outside influences on the children.
ReplyDeleteI believe that most of these findings are true. In my family, my oldest sibling, my brother, is very outgoing, a natural leader, while my sister who is three years younger has all the traits of a first born. Myself, the youngest, have most traits of the last-born.
I believe that all things are part of a child's personality, birth order, parents, and school.
This article explains how birth order and parenting can shape a child’s behavior. A firstborn child tends to be more reliable, controlling, structured, and cautious. They want to be the best at everything and act like mini-adults. Firstborns as children tend to want to be in the presence of adults over children their own age. A firstborn as an adult may still identify themselves as achievers and competitive. They still try to be the best and set their standards high. The middle child’s characteristics are somewhat rebellious, peacemakers, people-pleasers, and reliable on friendships. Middle kids as children may not do as they are told or don’t put away their clothes as told to. However, if the sex of the first born child is opposite of the middle child, then the middle child may have some first born characteristics. The middle child as an adult are still rebellious and don’t like to be told what to do. The last born tends to be fun-loving, uncomplicated, outgoing, attention-seeker, and manipulative. The last born as a child tends to show off and try to catch people’s attention. The adult version of a last born is easy going and spontaneous. Only children are unique because they tend to be more mature for their age, perfectionists, diligent and leaders. Only children as kids tend to understand adult humor and don’t throw many tantrums. Only children as adults are perfectionists and try to be model human beings. However, twins are different and will never act like a middle-child. They will pick up on first or last born characteristics depending on the other child and their parents.
ReplyDeleteI am a twin and so I feel as if I pick up on a lot of the first born characteristics. I am more structured and cautions than most people. I am also controlling during some activities and I am a very high achiever. However, I feel as if my brother follows more along the lines of a last born child because he is more easy-going and outgoing. We are complete opposites in personalities and interests.
I think the child’s personality is mainly based on the environmental forces. A way a child is raised and the atmosphere they have grown up in is a huge factor playing in on the child’s personality. If they started out in their biological birth order, then that would obviously have an impact on if they get moved into a new family where that order changes. However, I am a big believer that nurture plays a bigger role in a child’s personality than nature.
This article explains how not only parenting, but also birth order can affect a child's personality. The first born child loves being the center of attention because parents are very cautious and caring since it is their first child. A middle child is a little more rebellious and tend to be very close with friends because their parents are very connected and still pay close attention to the first child. The last born usually is competing for attention due to there being other children in he home. They are also free spirits because parents are pretty lenient after having multiple children. An only child is used to being the center of attention and is quite mature for their age.
ReplyDeleteI am an only child and this article defines me to a point. As a child I really wanted to please my parents but they had to pressure me to do well in school because I did not do well in school until I got to junior high. With being an only child, all my parents attention is on me all the time which can become very stressful.
I think that they way a parent raises their child does play a large role in what the child's personality will be like. But I also think that environmental factors play a huge role in the development of a child and their personality. Although I think that birth order plays a small role, I do not think that it is the prime reason for personality development in children.
This article described the effect that birth order has on personality. Due to a lack of inexperience, parents tend to be very “by the book” and attentive with their first born children. This results in first-borns who are perfectionists. They are organized and reliable and enjoy being in control of the situation. Middle children are generally somewhat rebellious but mostly thrive through friendships due to slightly less attentive parents. Finally, last born children are left to be outgoing and seeking attention while being self-centered as the parenting slight slacks even more. An only child has the parents of a first born, but this time the parenting style lasts forever and according to the article, the only child becomes a true perfectionist with leadership qualities. The article also describes how having a blended family, twins, or adoption an impact the unit.
ReplyDeleteMy family includes five children. My oldest sister, my brother, another sister, followed by my twin sister and myself. I would definitely say my oldest sister behaves as the first born she is; she was our second mother growing up and matured very quickly while becoming a true perfectionist. With five of us we don’t follow the true 1st, middle, last, and I believe my brother (second born) is a combination of the middle and first born personalities. He strives to make my parents proud while also exhibiting some of the rebellion of a middle child. Although there is a 5 year gap between my brother and my middle sister, she definitely fits the middle child role in our family. She followed in no one’s footsteps and instead formed a completely new circle of friends through music and ministry work. Then come my twin and I, and just as the article says, Angie behaves as a rebellious and free spirited last born while I take the role of our family’s “second” first-born, striving for perfection and to make my parents proud.
Obviously based on the birth order description of my own family, I would say that the birth-order impact was dead-on. However, of course environmental forces play a role in anyone’s personality development, for there are so many things your parents cannot control.
The article Birth order and Personality was very interesting. It discussed first born children, middle children, youngest children, and only children in a family and how their personalities develop. The birth order of the children has an effect on their personality. For example, the first born child is parented using more strict rules and by the book parenting styles because this child is the first they end up becoming a perfectionist and somewhat of a leader. The middle child is the one who is sometimes looking for attention because they are not the oldest and youngest they do not really know where they fit in. Middle children thrive on friendships and can sometimes be rebellious. The youngest child tends to be outgoing and self centered. Youngest children are very free spirited because the parents tend to be more flexible. The only child in a family is a mature leader who is also a perfectionist. The article also discussed the different kinds of families and that your siblings might affect your personality more than your peers do.
ReplyDeleteMy family has four children in it and I am the oldest. I definitely can compare to this article and while I was reading I was connecting the information to my siblings as well. My brother jack is just one year below me and we are very different like the article discusses. Jack is very very outgoing where I am not as outgoing but am definitely not shy either. We both have very different interests as well. Sam is two years below jack and he is the middle child. He definitely fits all of the characteristics. He loves his friends more than anything and has definitely gotten himself into trouble a lot because he does think there is as much attention on him as there is on the rest of us. My little sister Molly is the youngest and most definitely fits the characteristics discussed in the article. One thing that came to mind while I was reading is that Molly always has to go where she likes to eat or the movie that she likes to watch. She is very self centered and usually gets her way because sometimes I think my parents are fed up with fighting with her. Everything in the article related almost too perfectly to my family! I, being the oldest, definitely possess the perfectionist and leadership characteristic. I love to have control. I have always been the captain of the sports teams and when I have a project in school I usually do way more work that I needed to.
I think that there is both biological and environmental factors that influence your personality but mainly I think one's environment plays the bigger role. I believe that the way your parents are and how they raised you is what you grew up around the most and what you most likely adapted to be like. I know personally for me, a lot of my friends who I am compatible with share the same stories from when we were younger about what our parents did. I think that what you are exposed to whether that be music or movies also will affect you as a young child.
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ReplyDeleteThis article discusses the differences in children's personality due to their birth order. The author states that birth order plus parenting equals one's behavior. According to Voo, firstborns are often reliable, conscientious, structured, cautious, controlling, and achievers. Middle children are people-pleasers, rebellious, thrive on relationships, have a large social circle, and are peacemakers. Last born children are fun loving, uncomplicated, manipulative, outgoing, attention seekers, and self-centered. The article also discusses only children, blended families, and adoption as well.
ReplyDeleteI am the youngest of two. I have an older brother and there is three years between us. I think the traits of a first born describe him well except he is not controlling. He is, however, reliable, cautious, and likes to have a structure to his day. I felt the descriptions of the last born were somewhat applicable to me. I like things to be simplistic and uncomplicated, I am outgoing and I enjoy having fun. But I would not consider myself manipulative, an attention seeker, or self-centered. In fact, I prefer not to have attention on me. When all the attention is directed on me, I feel uncomfortable. I feel that the traits from the first born child apply to me more.
I think that a child's personality is more a product of environmental forces than birth order. My brother and I were raised similarly, with no special treatment to either of us because of birth order.
This article was an explanation of how a child’s personality can be shaped based upon his/her’s birth order and how parents treat them because of it. In the article itself it had the equation of Birth Order + Parenting = Behavior. Each individual birth order show trends of similar behavior for instance; first born kids are achievers and act as mini-adults, middle children are slightly rebellious and very social, last born kids are fun loving and attention seeking, and finally, the only child tends to be kindof a “super” first born. They are thought to be mature for their age and tend to be leaders. Other non-traditional types of children, like an adopted child, were touched upon but were not the main focus of the article.
ReplyDeleteI was an only child growing up, never had any siblings. I feel like what the article detailed me to be was half-and-half. I do see myself to be conscientious, and I do strive to be a model human being because that’s what I want to be. However, I am comfortable with leading when I have to, but prefer not to. I am fairly diligent, if I get started on a task I’ll finish it, but I have problems starting tasks.
I believe that birth order has little to do with a child’s personality. I think his/her’s environment plays a much bigger role in shaping their personalities. I think this because everyone is different. Some people make excellent parents; some shouldn’t even be allowed to have a cat. Sure there may be trends that go along with birth order, but they are only trends and false science. If I were to have 3 children, I personally believe I would love each of them near the same. Also, what if a family has two children or five children instead of the usual three, does the five kid family have three slightly rebellious middle children who are all very social? I highly doubt it, because everyone is wired differently and reacts to events in their lives differently.
In the article “Birth Order and Personality,” the author talks, in detail, about the different behaviors and personalities that fall with particular children in the birth order. The article ended with talking what happens within non-traditional families, i.e. an only child, adoption, or twins. The birth order seems to have a specific effect on each child, which I believe in some cases is true and some cases not. For example, my older brother and I do not fall within the personalities listed for each child. He is the oldest of our family and does not completely depict what the first born is like, and I am the baby and don’t depict what last born is like. We both more particularly exhibit behaviors from more than one type rather than solely being like just one.
ReplyDeleteI do think that birth order matters in a way, as does environmental factors. As the article said, I believe that the more kids a parent has, the more they learn how to parent; so they may start out being very strict with their first born, and they may be a lot easier on their second child. Although, birth order does play a role with certain instincts, but the way they are raised also plays a role.
The article "Birth Order and Personality" discusses how birth order corresponds to each child's personality. It talks about the first born, middle child, and youngest the authors even discussed twins, only child, broken homes, and adoption. For example the first born is reliable, controlling, and structured and the last born is fun-loving and outgoing. It then goes on at the end of the article that one can change their personality if they wanted it is not just based on birth order.
ReplyDeleteI am a twin. I have the first born personality traits. My brother on the other hand is a mix between first born and last born. He likes things structured and he is controlling but he also is fun loving like the last born.
I do believe that birth order does play a role, parenting styles, environment factors. The way parents treat a child helps develop their personality but I believe that the majority is from environment like friends and school. Not all children are like what they state in the article.
The article "Birth Order and Personality", by Jocelyn Voo, consisted of a connection being made between the order in which children are born and the characteristics they may adopt as a result of that order. Voo described various traits held by firstborn, middle-born, last-born, and only children and the reasoning for such traits. Also included were the ways in which step-families, adopted children, and "gap children" can change traits depending on when they become part of a different family.
ReplyDeleteBeing sixth out of nine children, I can't say that the birth order has affected me or my siblings in the way it is stated in this article. Assuming I would be considered a middle child, I would agree to being a people-pleaser; apart from that, the remaining characteristics don't really describe me. Environmental forces seem to have had more of an effect on our personalities than biological order. We have always been close with each other, and even now that we're all getting older, I still consider my family to be my closest friends. As such, it seems like our personalities have been influenced more by our relationships with each other and our parents than the actual order of our births. For some families, such as those interviewed in the article, the birth order traits can be right in tune with the personalities of individuals. With so many factors to consider when it comes to defining personalities, it is hard to say what really causes people to be the way they are.
This article talks about how the birth order can affect a child’s personality. The first born child will tend to be reliable, conscientious, structured, cautious, controlling, and achievers. These traits appear throughout their childhood and actually carry on into their adulthood. The first born often tries to be the best at everything they do. The middle child often tends to be a people-pleaser, somewhat rebellious, thrives on friendships, has large social circle, and a peacemaker. They often have rebellious streaks but will also have nurturing qualities to younger siblings. As an adult, the middle child should eventually grow out of that rebellion but still not like being told what to do. Last born children tend to be fun-loving, uncomplicated, manipulative, outgoing, attention-seeker, and self –centered. As children, the youngest likes to get all of the attention and will do things to get that. As an adult they seem to chill out and be less worried about a lot of things in life. There are also exceptions to these traditional birth orders but kind of seem to work in the same way.
ReplyDeleteAs the first born, I feel as if I fit these assumptions pretty well. The characteristics that this article relates to first born children fit me pretty well. As I was reading this article I was thinking to myself how well it was describing me. It also described my siblings as well which was pretty cool to read and see that it can actually be studied.
I believe that a child’s personality development comes from both their biological birth order and the way that their parents raise them. I do believe more in the way that the parents raise the child because that will set their moral compass for what is and isn’t right.
The birth order and personality article really caught my eye. I have three older brothers so I am interested how birth order affects personalities of different siblings. I read in the article that the first born are reliable and the biggest achievers. My oldest brother definitely acquires these traits along with the majority of the other traits the article discussed. The article also discussed how the firstborn isn’t necessarily competitive but always has to be the best, or perhaps their best. Personally, I have seen a lot of firstborn children to have this behavior.
ReplyDeleteThe middle child seems to be more rebellious and wonders who am I in this world? I also thought this to be interesting because my middle brother was the rebellious sibling and always seems to be lost and trying to find his way in life. I, myself, am the lastborn child. I did not really relate to what they said in the article with being the last born child. They claimed the last born child to be self-centered and an attention-seeker, traits I don’t possess. The grown-up lastborn child portion discusses them to have a “everything will work out” worldview. I do possess this trait. I believe that everything happens for a reason, so why be uppity?
The rest of the article talked about only children, blended families and adopted children. The only section I can relate to is blended families. I have a half-brother also but he does not really possess the traits that I read in the article. They talked about how blended families do not blend, but instead collide. This was not the case with my half-brother and all of us siblings.
They ask the question, is personality fixed? I believe in what they talked about in this section. They claimed that a person can consciously make a choice to change. I know, as a lastborn child, that I have changed in ways from being younger to being twenty-two. Also, I don’t think that birth order is the only factor in a child’s personality. How their parents raise them is also a key factor as well as other environmental factors, like daycare, school or other children around them.
This article stated that the personality of the child or children depended on the order of birth and how the parents raised them. The author also stated how a child would tend to act if firstborn to only children. I am the second and last child in my family however, I would not totally agree with how middle or second children tend to act. There is almost six years between my brother and myself so I fit more with being the firstborn while my brother, to me, leans more towards being the middle child. He is more rebellious and has a larger social circle than what I have. I think if we were closer in age that would make a huge difference in our personalities. I think it is mainly how the parents raise their kids. My mom has a brother that is two years older than she and he can do no wrong in my grandma's eyes. From stories I have heard from my mom she didn't raise my brother and I like my grandparents did. Maybe in the early years my parents treated my brother with more caution, being new parents, but once I was going through grade school it seemed like my parents were treating me with more caution and my brother turned into the middle or lastborn child. I think there is a small truth to the birth order having an effect on our personalities.
ReplyDeleteThis article explained the effect of birth order on a family. Many of the traits connected to a family are due to the way the parents raise the children and the established roles of the children within the family. The first born was discussed first. Typically the firstborns tend to be leaders and achievers. They usually strive to be the best in everything they do, and this carries over into their adult life. Typically parents are very careful with the oldest child. This will lead the first born to be more cautious. Next, the middle child was discussed. Because this child doesn’t have an identity as either the oldest or the youngest, they are typically more of people pleasers and sometimes rebellious to gain attention. Finally, the last child is defined as being an even more of an attention seeker. These children are also manipulative and self-centered. In contrast, these last born kids have and fun and care-free spirit. Only children tend to be more grown up and independent. However, there are some circumstances that can throw this birth order off. Some of these include adoption, gap children and blended families.
ReplyDeleteI believe that I do fit many of the assumptions for the birth role of the first born. I do always want to be the best and do my best work on everything. I enjoy getting good grades in everything I do. I am usually a reliable person and make schedules of things I need to accomplish on what days. I do always like to be in control of what is going on. However, I am not a cautious person. I am an adrenaline junkie and love doing extreme sports. I snowboard, race go-karts and ride motorcycle.
I believe that most of these behaviors that children experience are based off of environmental factors. I do not believe that these behaviors are preprogrammed in any way I the brain. Just because a mom has her first child, this doesn’t mean that it is her first pregnancy. It is possible that the mom could miscarry, but the first born is still the first born. This is why I believe the child will fill the role after birth and based off of environmental forces.
This article discusses the phenomenon of birth order, and describes what sort of traits a child might have depending on their birth order. For example, a first born might have traits such as being reliable, conscientious, structured, and cautious among other things. I think I sort of fit this description but there is a difference.
ReplyDeleteI am technically the second born in my family but I am the first born of a set of triplets. So I fit more with the first-born traits then with the middle born ones. I am cautious, reliable, conscientious, and, to be honest, a little controlling which are all traits of a first born child. I have five other siblings so I’m not going to describe all of them but I’ll do a few.
My older sister is a lot like me, and she has a lot of the traits of a first born according to the article. She is organized, sometimes to the tee. And she likes to take control and run things along with most of the other traits. As for the fourth child, which would be the third person in the set of triplets, my sister Greer fits into the middle child category. She is rebellious and tends to push my parents buttons, and she really wants to be her own individual. And lastly, my youngest sister, Rubi, is definitely in the youngest child category. She is outgoing, seeks attention, able to drive someone completely insane, and has my parents wrapped around her little finger.
I think that some of the child’s personality is a habit of their birth order, but I don’t think it is the only thing that distinguishes how they act. I think the people that they surround themselves with, the environment that they grow up and live in, among other things.
Voo, J. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.parents.com/baby/development/social/birth-order-and-personality/
DeleteIn this article, it gives an explanation of how birth order can affect someone’s personality traits. If you are the first born in a family that is kind of like the trial and error part of a parent’s life. They are more likely to go by the rulebook so they do everything correctly and raise the perfect child. This can be why first-born children grow up to be perfectionists, controlling, and achievers. The middle child can often grow up to be rebellious and a people pleaser, because the parents already know how to handle a child, therefore not trying as hard or not paying as much attention to the second-born child. They are always trying to thrive for pleasing everyone with the hopes of receiving some attention. The last-born child can be manipulative, attention seeking, and self-centered. They need to have the spotlight on only them, or else they try everything in their power to get the attention. By this time, the parents are lazier in their attempts at raising one more child. They will get away with more things and try to get more out of their parents. Only children are mature for their age, diligent, and also perfectionists. They never have to worry about getting the attention over the other child. An only child is like a super-firstborn child as the article puts it. Your personality isn’t fixed because of birth order. You can change things about you if you want to.
ReplyDeleteI am a middle child and I find some of these characteristics very true. I am in the middle of two brothers so I do posses some qualities from a first-born status. I am an achiever but I am also a people pleaser. My older brother isn’t a perfectionist or controlling, but kind of in the opposite direction of that. In school he was always the one to just pass by without over achieving or going above and beyond for assignments. My youngest brother compares to the stereotype of being the spoiled child in the family. He is very self-centered and that might come from being 6 years younger than me, and 8 years younger than my older brother. He is always striving for attention and gets away with everything. He really knows how to work what he wants out of my mother.
I think that their birth order can affect their personality, but other factors can affect it as well. Things such as: their home life, what social class they are in, friends that they have, etc. Every new parent has to go through that trial and error stage; otherwise they won’t know how to take care of a child properly. I think that how a child is raised will affect their personality development too.
In the article "Birth Order and Personality" the author discusses the impact of sibling order on personalities of the children. I am the oldest of five children, so I can definitely relate to these characteristics. Being the oldest, I was naturally the one to take charge when our parents were gone. I was always the one who wanted to have a plan made. My sister is the middle child, and the 'middle child syndrome' showed through more-so when we were all younger. She was always the mischievous one, yet wanting to stop our fighting. My youngest brother, who is now 10, is the last child. While being homeschooled for one year in junior high, he would stand on top of the table and scream his lungs out just asking for attention. He was the only one of us kids that were not in school at this point. Obviously, he felt that Mom was ignoring him while she was helping us other kids with school. He is still somewhat attention seeking, but not nearly as bad. All of us kids' personalities had to change and shift a bit after my parents got divorced and my mom moved out. This made both my Dad (also a firstborn) much more easy going and carefree. My sister then turned into the one who always wanted to have a plan and be in charge. Perhaps it was because she was trying to fill a motherly role as I moved away to college. It is interesting to wonder what causes people's personalities and traits. There is a fine balance between learned and innate behaviors that is different for everyone depending on the situation they are placed in.
ReplyDeleteThis article talks about the effects of birth order on a person’s personality. The author believes that many personality traits can be determined by the placement of a child in their family. They begin by examining the personality traits of the first-born child, middle child, youngest child, and finally only child. Each role has its down sets of traits and reasons for said traits. The author then goes on to explain some exceptions to these traits such as blended families, age gap, and adoption.
ReplyDeleteI am the first born with two younger siblings. Although I do believe some of the characteristics fit me not all of them do. I feel as if I am a very reliable, conscientious, cautious, and achieving person. I am also very nurturing which I believe comes from being an older sister. I always felt it was my duty to protect my siblings as much as I could. On the other hand I don’t believe I am a very structured or controlling person. I am actually relatively flexible when it comes to a majority of things.
My brother is the middle child and I don’t feel like many of the personality traits fit him at all. He is an extremely quite introverted child. He does have a good group of friends but it isn’t relatively large by any means. I believe the reason for him being so introverted is that my younger sister and myself were quite extraverted and loud so he kind of shrunk back from that.
My little sister is a junior in high school right now so I feel like although she fits many of the characteristics it is also apart of her being a teenager. She is very fun-loving and outgoing as I mentioned earlier. She is also quite self-centered although she is getting better as she gets older. She can be very manipulative when she wants to be but again I believe it is more her being a teenager than anything else. So overall the characteristics fit my sister and myself but because of the personality that surrounded him my brother does not quite fit the mold as well.
This article discusses how birth order impacts a child’s personality. Whether a child is first, middle, or last-born, it definitely plays a factor in their personality development. It goes on to discuss how first born’s tend to be reliable, conscientious, structured, cautious, controlling, and achievers. They are likely to be perfectionists, and constantly seek their elder’s approval. Middle children are likely to be people-pleasers, rebellious, thrive on friendships, have a large social circle, and be a peacemaker. These characteristics of the middle-born child seem to be well known, especially the rebellious trait. The last-born tends to be the most free-spirited, fun-loving, uncomplicated, outgoing, attention-seeking child.
ReplyDeleteI am the last-born, however I am a twin so my brother and I would fall under the exceptions to traditional birth order. I can relate to being referred to as “the twins” even to this day. Being a twin changes everything in this retrospect, because as you are growing up, you constantly have someone by your side. When we were younger (also relating to the article where it states that children generally develop most of their personality before the age five) we shared a bedroom, our toys, our birthday, attention, etc. I would have to agree with the article, when it states that twins are families within families. However, it seems that we both share characteristics of being the first-born and last-born. My oldest sister, definitely fits all of the characteristics for first-born. My parents have always given her the most responsibility, and seem to expect the most out of her, or at least she acts like they do. She strives for perfection and structure. My second oldest sister also fits most of the characteristics for middle-born, especially the rebellious trait. She was the one out of all of us that seemed to get in the most trouble at school, and just in general. Now, I can see why this is, because when she was three years old, she had not one, but two baby siblings born, which I assume likely took away a lot of the attention she sought. I think a child’s personality development is both a product of their biological birth order and a product of environmental forces. In my eyes, they seem to fall hand in hand.
The article “Birth Order and Personality” compares people’s personality types to their birth order. The article lists the characteristic types for firstborn, middle-born and last-born people. The characteristics for firstborn people are things like reliable, structured, cautious, controlling and achievers. The characteristics for middle-born people are things like people-pleasers, somewhat rebellious, thrives on friendship and pacemakers. The characteristics for the last-born people are things like fun-loving, uncomplicated, manipulative, outgoing, attention seekers and self-centered.
ReplyDeleteI find what this article says to be very accurate to my own family characteristic. My brother, who is the oldest sibling, fits every characteristic they listed to the letter. He was valedictorian of his high school class, graduated with honors and is currently finishing his fourth year in medical school. He is very structured and controlling to the point of acting almost like a third parent. I am actually the last-born and I hate to admit it but the majority of the characteristics listed fit me as well. I am a fun-loving and outgoing person who loves living life with as few complications as possible and I am fairly self-centered.
I think that to a certain extent birth order plays a role in developing a child’s personality, but I don’t think it plays a major role. I think the overall social and economic environments a child is raised in play a much more substantial role in the development of personality.
This article explains the personality traits of children according to their birth order, as well as, only children and exceptions to birth order. Each child will portray different personality traits. For example, the first born is more of the leader; the middle child will be more of a ‘people-pleaser’; and the last born will ‘manipulative’ and outgoing; the only child will strive for perfection. There are exceptions to the birth order personality traits. For example, children with a five year gap between them may both portray first born traits.
ReplyDeleteI would have to say that my family does fit these assumptions. I am the youngest of six, and there is a gap between my siblings. We are, in a way, in a pair of two’s because two of us are close in age, and then there is a gap, and so forth. I feel that my closest in age sister and I mostly fit the characteristics of the first born and the last born. My sister is more a leader; she is reliable, likes to be in control, and thrives on achievement. However, my sister does not rely on my parents’ presence, but I do feel that she was very mature for her age while in high school. As for me, I feel that I am fun-loving, uncomplicated, outgoing, and, unfortunately, manipulative. I would have to disagree with the attention-seeker and self-centered. I dislike attention; I hate being the center of attention. I also don’t feel that I am self-centered. I almost always put others before me, but sometimes you have to do what is best for you. Although I agree with most of the assumptions, I feel that not all of them will apply to everyone.
I do feel that our biological birth order does play a role in our personality, but I believe that our environmental forces play a slightly bigger role. I have now a lot of people who would not fit these assumptions and I believe that is because of how their parents raised them. We can all change our personality throughout time, but for 18 years of my life, I spent it with my parents. I feel that it is hard to change how our parents raised us because we were with them for so long.
This article is very detailed in how it explains the way that people gain personality traits based on age and child hood. It talks about how different orders of birth affect the personality of children such as: being first born last born and middle children. Like how first born children are generally more group oriented and take on the role of becoming the leader, and how middle children are more rebellious and more of the party animals.
ReplyDeleteI personally believe that I both support and negate these findings. I would agree, that I am more of a leader out of my sibblings as a first born, but I also believe I was more of the rebellious child in my family. I do take charge when I have the chance and I like to guide others so I believe that does fit the role the article depicts. However I have always been the child in our family that rebels from y parents compared to my two brothers.
I too an extent agree with this article that whether or not we are born first second or last has some to do with how we grow personaly, but I believe that that is not always true. To me I think it is the surroundings and experiences we have in life are what decide how we grow into our personality.
This article discusses the difference between the personalities of the firstborn child, the middle child, and the youngest child in a family. The author states that it is a combination of both birth order and parenting that help to shape a child’s behavior and personality. Children who are first born tend to be conscientious, controlling, and achievers. They also strive to please both their parents and other elders.
ReplyDeleteThe middle child strives to be a people pleaser and may have a large social circle. Having a large group of peers may be due to the fact that they didn't have as much parental attention as their older of younger siblings did. The youngest child of the family may be an attention-seeker, outgoing, and uncomplicated. This is due to parents not being as strict with their younger children as they were with their eldest. In addition, only children may be perfectionists and leaders due to the fact that they had all of their parents’ attention all of the time. Blended families, twins, children that are much older or younger than their siblings, as well as adopted children are all exceptions to this oldest, middle, youngest birth order. While these behaviors may be a result of parenting, birth order, as well as peers, psychologists agree that your personality can be changed if you want it to be.
I definitely agree that birth order affects personality, because I can see the difference between my younger brother and myself. I am the oldest sibling, and I know that I am conscientious and I always feel gratification when I make my parents proud. My younger brother on the other hand is extremely outgoing, and he usually seems as if he doesn't have a care in the world. I think a child’s personality comes 30% from their birth order, because I do believe that parents raise their children differently depending on whether it is their first, middle, or last child. However I think that at least 70% of a child’s personality comes from their environmental forces. I think the way a child’s parents raise them and the people that they hang out with play a major role in how a child’s personality develops.
The article, “Birth Order and Personality”, discussed the correlation between birth order and a person’s personality. The study included firstborn children, middle children, lastborn children, and twins. Along with those, children with no siblings, divorced parents, siblings much older/younger than them, and children who were adopted were also included in this article. The author, Jocelyn Voo, goes on to tell of the different personality traits associated with each birth order. For example, the firstborn is often more cautions and controlling, whereas the middle child is somewhat rebellious and a peacemaker. The lastborn child is then more self-centered and attention-seeking. The article goes on to explain these in more detail, but the ending has a twist to it. Just because a child is born in a certain order does not mean that their personality will stay that way forever. Everyone is able to change their personality if they so choose.
ReplyDeleteHaving only one older sister I am technically the middle child and the baby of the family. I would have to say though that my personality fits in more with that of a middle child. I have never been one to beg for attention, but I am the people-pleasing type. My sister, on the other hand, has firstborn written all over her. She is always trying her best to achieve new things. She is also a very cautious person. If there was ever anything new that we encountered, I was always the one who went first.
I think that the personality of a person depends more on how they were raised rather than birth order. Most people do not grow up saying they are the middle child and that is why they act the way they do. They usually say that they learned from watching their parents and the other adults in their lives behave and react to different things. I do think that birth order plays a slight role in a person’s personality, but I think the main contributing factor to that is how that person was raised.
This article was very interesting to me because I never thought that birth order could affect personality. The perfectionism in first borns talked about in the article reminded me a lot of myself. I am a first born child, and everything suited me. When I put myself to something, I want to be the best at it. If I'm not doing as well as I think I should, I have a tendency to freak out and put even more pressure on myself. I generally act older than I am and even have a tendency to take over things at my house because of my perfectionism. I really annoy my younger sisters when I do this.
ReplyDeleteThe middle child part of the article did not suit the middle child in my family at all. She is far from rebellious. She has always done exactly what is expected of her and even thinks that the idea of rebelling is stupid. However, this does make the people pleaser statement of the article true for her. My sister also doesn't keep a large circle of friends. She has a couple close friends, her boyfriend, and her family. That's all that has ever really mattered to her.
My youngest sister fits the last born personality type just as well as I fit the first born one. She is very self centered and comes first in everything. If it's not about her, she will find a way to make herself the center of attention. She also has a sneaky, manipulative way about her and figures out how to get her way in most situations.
I'm really glad I came across this article because it helped me understand myself and my family a little bit better. I thought about other relatives and even friends while reading this and most of them had at least a couple of the traits listed.
Using my family as a reference, I really do believe now that birth order can have an effect on your personality. My youngest sister and I are clear examples of this. Environment does play a huge role in this too, because even if they don't realize it, parents really do treat each child differently.
This was a very interesting article. This article discussed the effect birth order can have on a person personality and way of living. It talks about how first born are usually leaders and perfectionist, middle children are usually rebels and people pleasers, and last born children are usually manipulative and attention seekers. These roles are not always true. Many things can change the outcome of a child’s personality. A few of these things is age gap between siblings, adoption, and blended families. The birth order of my family is a little crazy. My oldest sister is 32, my other older sister is 25, I am 20, and then I have a little brother who is 10. According to the article if there is a 5 year gap or more between the siblings a new birth order begins. With my family that is true but at the same time not completely. My oldest sister is very much a leader and a perfectionist. All through college and grad school she was on the Deans List and always excelled in life. The middle daughter, my next oldest sister, fits the model of a middle child 100%. All the characteristics that were stated in the article, people- pleaser, rebellious, thrives on friendship, large social circle, and peacemaker, are all true of my sister. She has a large group of friends that are very important to her, usually more than family, and she is the peacemaker of her friends. She is rebellious when it comes to the family. She didn’t go to college and follow the normal way of life. She does what she wants to do no matter what. But in the end she does want to please her friends and family. Now I am the youngest girl. Since I was the youngest for 10 year I do believe that I don’t have many middle child characteristics. If you ask my sisters I love to be center of attention. I am very opinionated and like to get my way, and I can be manipulative. The one thing that I don’t match is the self center aspect. I think this might be because I did have a baby in the house when I was ten which I loved to help take care of, and my oldest sister was a very big role model for me and she isn’t a very self centered person. My youngest brother is an only child. None of us siblings live in the house anymore or really see my brother day to day. My brother does not have an only child personality. He really is a mix of all of them. I think this might be because his siblings play such a different role then most do since we are so much older, and my parents have raised him so differently. My brother would be an example how birth order has little effect have environmental forces have more of an effect. I do believe that birth order is not everything. How you are raised can change a lot about you. I was raised to be very independent. From a young age I always wanted to do things by myself. My brother on the older hand is not as independent, and I think that is to do with how my parents raised him.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very interesting article. This article discussed the effect birth order can have on a person personality and way of living. It talks about how first born are usually leaders and perfectionist, middle children are usually rebels and people pleasers, and last born children are usually manipulative and attention seekers. These roles are not always true. Many things can change the outcome of a child’s personality. A few of these things is age gap between siblings, adoption, and blended families. The birth order of my family is a little crazy. My oldest sister is 32, my other older sister is 25, I am 20, and then I have a little brother who is 10. According to the article if there is a 5 year gap or more between the siblings a new birth order begins. With my family that is true but at the same time not completely. My oldest sister is very much a leader and a perfectionist. All through college and grad school she was on the Deans List and always excelled in life. The middle daughter, my next oldest sister, fits the model of a middle child 100%. All the characteristics that were stated in the article, people- pleaser, rebellious, thrives on friendship, large social circle, and peacemaker, are all true of my sister. She has a large group of friends that are very important to her, usually more than family, and she is the peacemaker of her friends. She is rebellious when it comes to the family. She didn’t go to college and follow the normal way of life. She does what she wants to do no matter what. But in the end she does want to please her friends and family. Now I am the youngest girl. Since I was the youngest for 10 year I do believe that I don’t have many middle child characteristics. If you ask my sisters I love to be center of attention. I am very opinionated and like to get my way, and I can be manipulative. The one thing that I don’t match is the self center aspect. I think this might be because I did have a baby in the house when I was ten which I loved to help take care of, and my oldest sister was a very big role model for me and she isn’t a very self centered person. My youngest brother is an only child. None of us siblings live in the house anymore or really see my brother day to day. My brother does not have an only child personality. He really is a mix of all of them. I think this might be because his siblings play such a different role then most do since we are so much older, and my parents have raised him so differently. My brother would be an example how birth order has little effect have environmental forces have more of an effect. I do believe that birth order is not everything. How you are raised can change a lot about you. I was raised to be very independent. From a young age I always wanted to do things by myself. My brother on the older hand is not as independent, and I think that is to do with how my parents raised him.
ReplyDeleteThe article "Birth Order and Personality" is about the order in which children are born affects their personalities based on the parental interactions. This article also brings into perspective the affects being an only child, adoptions, and families within families have on the personality of the children.
ReplyDeleteI am the oldest child of my family and I believe that the stereotype fits my personality to a certain degree. I am certainly controlling,cautious, and more structured than my younger siblings.
The middle children of my family are my sisters, who take part in the given stereotype in some ways. One sister is more of a people-pleaser while the other is very rebellious. Both sisters thrive on friendships and share a large social circle.
The youngest child of my family is my brother. I believe my brother fits the given personality traits the least. While he is the attention-seeker of the family, he is very shy, quiet, and giving rather than outgoing, self-centered, and manipulative.
I believe that birth order has some part in the personality of a child, but I do not believe the order is a deciding factor. I believe the social environment a child is raised in plays the most part in determining a child's personality.
The article “Birth Order and Personality” discusses personality types and roles of people in relation to their birth order. It explains how first born children, middle born children, and last born children act different based on how they interact with their parents, siblings, and other family members. First born children tend to more reliable and conscientious. Middle born children are more people-pleasers, rebellious, and extraverted. Last born children are fun-loving, attention-seeking, self-centered, and manipulative. Only children tend to be perfectionists, diligent, and good leaders.
ReplyDeleteIn my own family, I kind of fit the qualities of the first born. I'm more reliable and conscientious in most respects. But, I also tend to relax and I have a problem with procrastination. So, I'm not the exact example of the first born. My sister, the last born has qualities of both the middle born and last born, which makes sense since we have such a large age gap, six years. I think personality has more to do with environmental factors than birth order.
This article just makes sense to me. I am a first born and these are not only characteristics but goals of mine. I just make sense that we are striving to be in that leadership role. The first born has no one to look up to so we have to figure it out our selves. With figuring it out on our own we just learn to be reliable for ourselves. I just have a younger brother and he also fits the profile of the last born, there is lots of days were he makes me crazy because he just decides to do what he wants and not do what he should be doing. I think it has nothing to do with their biological birth order, because if you took a child that was the last one born in a family but gave him/her to a family with no other kids, he/she is now the first born and will become to developed the characteristics of the first born because of the environment they grew up in. Just like article gave examples how the parent’s attitude change this means the environment of the child has changed.
ReplyDeleteThis article is all about birth order of children and how it affects their personality. There are all different and specific characteristics of each child in the birth order. The first born child would be described as reliable, adventurous and controlling. Second born children, also known as the middle child, is known as peacemakers and people pleasers. Lastly, the last born is described as outgoing and thrill seekers. But on the other hand, only children are very mature and diligent. These are some of the qualities of each group of birth order. This article went into good detail about each group.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this article, I personally very much agree with the characteristics of each group in birth order. With my own family, I am the youngest child and also do fit into most of the qualities of the last born child. The characteristics that describe me the most are outgoing and fun-loving. With my family being fairly ordinary my brother and I easy fit into the characteristics. My brother is the oldest child of my family. Some of the characteristics he posses are being reliable and controlling. He is one of the people I can count on the most in my life to always be there for me and support me.
In school, we will always learn about nature versus nurture with children. I believe firmly in children act the way they do from how they were raised. Naturally, being the baby of the family, it is easy to be like the stereo type of how last borns will act. Parents play a big role in how their children act and what their personality will be. Stereotypes are a big part of everyday life, but in this cases, children will mostly act how their parents raise them to act.
After reading this article about birth order and the link to personalties, I just had to laugh due to the fact at how true most of it was! Not many people know this (unless we're friends and of course family) but I am an only child. Women in my sorority didn't even know until after being a member in Theta for a few weeks! When they found out they were so taken back because I don't necessarily fit the spoiled little brat stereotype. I'll take that as a compliment of course. I do however, fit the criteria for most of what the article said about the only child; I am a leader, I have always been and understood the sarcastic side of conversations, I was mature for my age when I was younger, and I may be a bit of a perfectionists when it comes to certain aspects of life (I can't even imagine how my wedding planning will be!).
ReplyDeleteIn order to try and really look in to birth order with siblings, I took my dad and his brother and sister into thought. They each fir the article's characteristics perfectly! My dad, being the oldest, is the reliable, structured, and high achievement one out of the bunch. My uncle is the middle child and I'm not sure if there is anyone else I know who is as successful as him yet such a rebellious peacemaker! He thrives on his social life, rebels with his friends and family, and when something happens to shake his boots, he tries to make everyone happy and be the peacemaker. My aunt is the youngest of the three. I love her to death but she is definitely self-centered, even after having two children of her own. She is fun-loving yet seeks attention. She's different, but I love her.
I loved reading this email and I actually sent the link of to my dad letting him know how real the birth order and personality links were.