Each birth order position has its own unique set of characteristics and
attributes. For instance, achievement and ambition is a common first born
trait, while persistence and creativity is common among last borns.
We all know exceptions to the above, however there is enough evidence to
support these notions.
Last week new research was released that shows one birth order position is
smarter than the others
When it comes to being bright, it pays to be a first born.
A study of 250,000 Norwegians found that those raised as a first born
scored on average two percent higher on IQ tests than later born brothers
and sisters.
The unique design of the study helped resolve the nature-versus-nurture
aspect of the debate. It included young people whose older siblings had
died as babies. These people, raised as first borns, scored similar scores
as eldest borns.
The study maintains that first borns benefit from all that extra
one-on-one parental attention and the fact that they have to explain a
great deal to their younger siblings.
This supports my own findings, which I included in my book "Why first
Borns rule the world and last borns want to change it".
One-on-one attention gives first borns an edge but there are other factors
that give the eldest an advantage.
Parental expectations are generally huge for first borns both
behaviourally and academically. We set the bar high for the first born and
then lower it for each subsequent child.
First borns also benefit from being surrounded by a great deal of adult
language in their early years, which impacts on their ability to read. The
quality of language younger children are exposed to is diluted by
increased exposure to the language of their siblings. Quite simply, they
usually don't receive the same type of adult-initiated stimulation that
the eldest sibling received. This could account to some degree for the IQ
discrepancy.
Quite frankly, I don't think it matters.
Each position in a family has its own advantages and disadvantages,
benefits and drawbacks. I wouldn't trade the people smarts I picked up
from being the youngest in my family and observing all the mistakes of my
siblings for a few percentage points in IQ. No way!
I am glad I didn't have the pressure to do well that my eldest sibling
experienced. My parents were quite relaxed by the time I came along and
allowed me some latitude to develop free from excessive pressure to
perform or conform.
First borns may indeed be smarter but they tend to take themselves and
life too seriously. And their perfectionist tendencies can be a drawback.
For these reasons, the key message for parents of first borns is to loosen
up and don't put too much pressure on them. Many place enough pressure on
themselves to succeed, without parents adding another layer.
First borns also crave parental approval, which can straight-jacket them
into only doing activities where success (and so parental approval) is
assured. That's why first borns need more encouragement (process-oriented
feedback) than praise (result-oriented feedback). Encouragement releases
the pressure on first borns to please adults.
Let's face it, first borns maybe smarter than the rest, but they can be so
darn complex too!
Michael Grose is a popular parenting expert and media commentator. He is
the director of Parentingideas, the author of seven books for parents and
a popular expert who speaks to audiences in Australia, Singapore and the
USA. For a free kids' chores and responsibilities guide visit
http://www.parentingideas.com.au..
According to a recent study of nearly 250,000 males between 18 and 19
years old, the first-born had an average IQ score 2.3 points higher than
their younger siblings. Doesn't sound like much, right? But, those 2.3
points increase a child's chances of getting into an Ivy League school by
30 percent. The results also proved that IQ is, at least in part,
determined by social birth order and not by genetics, putting an end to a
nearly 70 year old debate.
But, don't start resenting your older brother just yet. While the 2.3
points are fairly significant, they only reflect the educational potential
of an individual. So, even if you weren't the first to arrive on the scene
in your family, you are still entirely capable of being more successful
than all of your siblings combined. It's all about how you use what you've
got.
There are several theories as to why first-born children usually have
higher IQ's. One, they are usually given undivided attention during their
early developmental years. As additional children are born, the attention
of the parents is spread more thinly across the entire family.
Another possible explanation, parents usually spend more money on the
oldest sibling, simply because that child is the first one to require the
extra expenses. For example, the oldest child would most likely be the
first to want to take a class of some kind, get involved in sports, go to
college, etc.
The theory that one of the researchers thinks is most accurate is called
"niche partitioning". Basically, the oldest child is given the most
authority and responsibility, therefore the parents tend to see him as a
surrogate parent to the younger siblings. This higher ranking then drives
the later-born children to find their "niche" in the family.
Because older children already occupy the "disciplined and wise" niche,
younger children have to find other roles to play. "So, younger siblings
look for other things to be good at," said Frank J. Sulloway, a visiting
scholar at the University of California, Berkeley, Institute of
Personality and Social Research. "It may be that that extra 2.3 points in
IQ reflects an investment of time to get that, and the later-born is
investing that time in something else and is getting 2.3 extra points in
something else," he added.
Given that each child is finding his or her own niche, the difference in
IQ is nothing for parents to worry about, Sulloway said.
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