Sulloway claims later-borns often can't do what their older siblings do, so they tend to rebel and trying to find other ways to get attention, even dangerous ways. "Younger siblings are more inclined to try these experimental, sometimes dangerous things," said Sulloway (Sulloway, 1997, p
Only children tend to use adult language when they communicate, and they communicate with their parents on an adult level. They enjoy being with adults, and are not afraid to engage them in conversation and discussion (Alder)
Firstborns expect parents and siblings to express their opinions before the firstborn will, because they often have trouble talking about what they feel or need. They also want their parents to understand and approve of their goals, although they may not be able to ask for this approval (Isaacson and Radish)
Firstborns expect parents and siblings to express their opinions before the firstborn will, because they often have trouble talking about what they feel or need. They also want their parents to understand and approve of their goals, although they may not be able to ask for this approval (Isaacson and Radish)
In contrast, laterborns are peer-socialized and thus are often seen as more popular. This peer-socialization also contributes to a greater acceptance of risk and a greater desire to be independent of authority (Carlson & Kangun, 1988: 57-59)
As a result, laterborns are exposed to more ideas, encouraging them towards liberalism (Sulloway 1996: 136). Primogeniture no longer exists today, and many inheritance practices that were biased towards the firstborns have given way to practices that divide property equally among all siblings (Hrdy and Judge 1993: 22)
The following sections examine how these interrelated factors result in different roles and behaviors for firstborn, middle-born, youngest and only children. Firstborn Children Many studies have shown that firstborn children have a greater tendency than their later-born counterparts to be conformist and oriented towards authority and responsibility (Moore & Cox, 1990: 19)
reviewed the profiles and probation files of 138 male juveniles. They found that the best predictors of recidivism were conviction, alcohol abuse, length of the first incarceration, group home placement and finally, birth order (Myner et al
also found that some evidence indicates that there is a strong relationship between extreme ordinal positions - being firstborn or lastborn - and the likelihood of criminal behavior. This study, however, was conducted in 1944 and has yet to be replicated in more recent times (Paolucci et al
In both studies, however, birth order was only one of the factors used to study delinquent behavior. In the Rosenbaum study, the lack of a stable family and a stable mother figure emerged as the most important determinant of female juvenile delinquency, as only seven percent of the young women in the study came from intact families (Rosenbaum 1989: 32)
Researchers like Lala Steelman and Brian Powell assert that laterborns now benefit more, financially speaking, from their later birth. Because they are more likely to be born at a time when their families are more economically secure, laterborn children often have an advantage when it comes to parental economic investments (Steelman and Powell 1991)
Other studies further challenge the conclusion regarding laterborn status and a propensity for delinquent behavior. A study alcohol and drug substance abuse among teens and college students, for example, reveals that having an older brother makes a student far less likely to abuse alcohol or to use illegal drugs (Tibbetts and Whittimore 2002: 324-325)
Of these likely delinquents, Wadworth recognized that many children were more likely to come from a lower social class and a large family, with parents who themselves only had a minimum education. These delinquents were also more likely to be firstborns or from a higher birth order (Wadsworth 1979: 102-105)
Zweigenhalt and von Ammon found that the majority of the students who were arrested during the protests were indeed later-borns. This study was more significant because the researchers controled for possible intervening variables such as education and socio-economic status (Zweigenhaft and von Ammon)
Some analysts feel that birth order is only one way to determine a person's personality. (Beck)
Research also tends to point out that children who are first-born usually have greater achievements in their professional careers. By the same token, these students are also more likely to have more mental disturbances than their younger siblings (Nyman)
Nevertheless, scientists say the most children live up to their role and learn to fit into their role through interactions with their family. The family is the most common determiner for the way the child becomes the assertive older sibling or the doting younger sibling (Veronie)
And 50% of the students who were arrested had been the youngest sibling. Also, all of the students who were arrested more than once during the protest were the youngest sibling in their family (Zweigenhaft, Von Ammon)