The Effects of Birth Order Essay -- Birth Human Behavior Personality E

Does birth order have an effect on personality? Does be first born make mint more responsible? If some hotshot is the middle born child, are they going to be more rebellious?If people are last born are they more likely to be on television? Are firstborn children inconsiderate and selfish or reliable and highly motivated? These, and many other questions are being thoroughly studied by psychologists(Harrigan, 1992). In 1923, the renowned psychiatrist Dr. Alfred Adler, wrotethat a persons get in the family leaves an undeniable stamp on hisor her style of life (Marzollo, 1990). Research has shown that birth orderdoes indeed affect a child however, it does not automatically shape personality.If it did, life would be much more predictable and a great deal less interesting(Marzollo, 1990). Yogi Bera, a far-famed baseball player, said Every now andthen a reporter who thinks he is Freud asks me if being the youngest is whyI made it (playing professional baseball). I al roughly always gr ade yes, butI dont think it had anything to do with it (Harrigan, 1992). Birth orderdoesnt explain everything about human behavior. Personality is affected bymany different factors, such(prenominal) as heredity, family size, the spacing and sexof siblings, education, and upbringing. However, there is an awful lot ofresearch and plain old law of averages supporting the affect of birth orderon personality (Leman, 1985). There are four basic classifications of birthorder the oldest, the only, the middle, and the youngest. Each has its own regulate of advantages, as well as its own set of disadvantages. While the birthorder factor isnt always exact, it does give many clues about why people arethe way they are (Leman, 1985).If there is one word that describes firstborn children it would be perfectionist (Harrigan, 1992). First born childrentend to be high achievers in whatever they do. Some traits customarily usedto tail first born children include reliable, conscientious, list maker, w ellorganized, critical, serious, scholarly (Leman, 1985), self-assured, good leadershipability, eager to please, and nurturing (Brazelton, 1994). Also, first bornchildren seem to have a heightened feel of right and wrong. It is commonin most books about birth order that first born children get more press thanonly, middle, and youngest children. This... ...ute as a loved little baby, but the next minuteshes compared unfavorably with an older sibling. He or she is often unfairlycompared with older and stronger siblings.According to Beverly Hills-basedpsychiatrist Carole Lieberman, M.D., the self-image of the youngest child whitethornbecome confused (Lanning, 1991). As a result of conflicting experiences,youngest children can be extremely self-confident in someways and insecurein others (Leman, 1985). For the most part, youngest children learn to copewith the problems of self-doubt. In fact, youngest children often go on tobecome quite successful, thanks in part to their originality and determinationto prove themselves to the world (Lanning, 1991). Often, they get theirunique view of the world through the visual or literary arts. People-pleasingfields, such as art, comedy, entertainment and sales are full of youngest children(Lanning, 1991). Some examples of famous youngest children include RonaldReagan (president, actor), Eddie Murphy (comedian), Paul Newman (actor), MaryLou Retton (gymnast), Billy Crystal (comedian), Yogi Bera (baseball player),Ted Kennedy (politician), and Kevin Leman (psychologist)