Essay - Birth Order and Psychology in Previous Years There Have Been...

Birth Order and Psychology

In previous years there have been quite a bit of research conducted on the subject ***** birth order and personality. However research on this matter has declined in at least the last 10 to 20 years. In all regards, it is the common perception that people who are first-born have ***** strongest disposition and have leadership tendencies. Research also tends to po*****t out that children who are first-born usu*****y have greater achievements in their professional careers. By the same token, *****se students are also more likely to ***** more mental disturbances than ***** younger siblings (Nyman). There are conflicting results as to the popularity factor concerning the first born. Some researchers content ***** the ***** ***** generally more popular, thus ***** out-going. While o*****rs contend that the ********** are less popular—***** perhaps more stand-offish (Nyman).

Children who are classified as the middle child ***** said to be more problematic ***** their older and ***** siblings. They have been said ***** be ***** aggressive than other children. A study of University of Indiana students conducted in 1977 found that these students "scored high on aggression. (Nyman). However the another study contradicts the Indiana study by stating ***** these ***** have fewer problems. The before mentioned study, ***** by Kuar and Deer in 1982 "showed that middle children have the fewest ***** problems." However it should be noted that ***** way children behave can be directly attributed to the way they are expected to behave. For example, if the eldest child is expected ***** be a leader, he or she most likely will fulfill that expectation. The same holds true for the middle child, or the ***** born.

Since ***** middle ***** is often expect to be poorly adjusted into society, ***** child is very likely to have problems adjusting. The l*****t ***** sibling is ***** seen as the "baby" of the family and is treated ***** such.

It is interesting to note that children of Afri***** American descent did not d*****play any d*****ferences in character at all ***** could be attributed ***** *****ir birth order. In fact, it has been question as to whether birth order places any role at ***** in the matter of African ***** college students.

In one study ***** 139 undergraduate students in New York, students were asked ***** write down words to describe siblings or ***** they know in a p*****rticular ***** order. The students' average age was 24 (Nyman). Hardly any ***** the words could be termed as being neutral for ***** study. Some of the words had positive inferences, while some ***** the ***** had negative inferences. *****, the words could be defined as positive for some and ***** by others (Nyman).

The oldest child was usually *****ized as ***** aggressive, dominant, independent, intelligent, ambitious, responsible, caring and friendly (Nyman). The ***** child most often was at the center of attention in ***** household ***** had the most responsibility. Oftentimes, p*****nts give the oldest child the task of watching over