As a personality psychologist at the University of Leipzig, Dr. Julia Rohrer has studied the impact of birth order on personality formation. During an interview on the Science Weekly Podcast, she shared her own experience of growing up with a younger half-sibling biologically making her the firstborn, but also being raised with an older cousin who she considered like a sibling.
One theory that Dr. Rohrer mentioned is Frank Sulloway’s niche theory, which suggests that siblings within a family compete for resources but also need to get along due to shared genes and interests. According to this theory, firstborns often specialize in being like a surrogate parent, while younger siblings may need to be more creative to fit into the family dynamic.
Recent research conducted by a team at the University of California, Los Angeles, found that first-born daughters tend to mature earlier in some cases, enabling them to assist in caring for younger siblings. Other studies have shown that eldest daughters are more likely to succeed and hold leadership roles later in life compared to other siblings.
In conclusion, birth order can impact not only your family role but also your adult life. It is interesting to consider how the dynamics and interactions within a family can shape the development of each sibling’s personality and traits.
