You've probably heard it before and brushed it off if you're a second, third or fourth+ child - but it's true: the eldest sibling is the smartest, according to research. And there's not just one reason for it.
A new study shows that first-born children tend to be smarter than their siblings and second-born children are more likely to cause trouble. The University of Edinburgh study reported that the oldest child tends to have a higher IQ and thinking skills than their younger siblings.
A 2016 study published in the Journal of Human Resources has said that firstborns are academically more intellectual and successful than other siblings because parents tend to be more invested in them.
Middleborns are just as smart as their siblings.
But a study by the University of Illinois published earlier this year found that firstborns' IQs are only one point higher, on average, than their younger siblings — a fairly negligible difference.
After examining 20,000 people, researchers from the University of Leipzig concluded that older siblings are smarter on average while younger siblings are healthier and are more likely to be gay (if they're men). It was the second-largest study to look at the effects of birth order.
Younger siblings generally have a lower IQ than their older brothers and sisters, according to three large national surveys from the US, UK, and Germany.
According to Adler, the first born is more susceptible to depression because of high expectations of parents and suddenly losing the attention due to another sibling being born.
Researchers have found a correlation between risk-taking and being the last-born sibling.
While the youngest sibling is usually the funniest kid, mom and dad favor the youngest for a reason that might surprise you. According to a new study conducted by Brigham Young University's School of Family Life, the youngest sibling of the family tends to be mom and dad's favorite child because of perception.
First-born kids tend to be leaders, like CEOS and founders, and are more likely to achieve traditional success. Middle-born children often embody a mix of the traits of older and younger siblings, and they're very relationship-focused.
First, it's possible first-borns are superior in some biological sense. They are born of younger wombs or to stronger healthier mothers, whose bodies are not yet ravaged by the demands of caring for other children.
Eldest daughter syndrome is the burden felt by oldest daughters because they're given too many adult responsibilities in their family before they're ready. Eldest daughter syndrome can make women feel overburdened, stressed out, and constantly responsible for others.
Now a new study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and based on data from 20,000 individuals, concludes that birth order does matter when it comes to IQ – with the oldest having slightly higher IQ than their younger siblings.
A growing collection of studies suggests that being the youngest sibling may come along with some major health advantages. Researchers have found that the baby of the family is often slimmer and less prone to illness. As a result, younger siblings can expect to live longer than their older brothers and sisters.
Researchers at the University of Illinois used a sample of 377,000 schoolchildren and found there were differences in personality traits, with the eldest sibling tending to be more extroverted, agreeable and conscientious.
American magazine columnist Marilyn Vos Savant has an IQ of 228, the highest ever recorded. She scored the highest IQ scores when she was 10 years old.
Gender inequality starts even before birth. Across the world, would-be parents tend to prefer their first (or their only) child to be a boy rather than a girl or to have more sons than daughters (1–8). This results in millions of “missing girls” at birth due to sex-selective abortions (9–11).
A recent study has found that it's not the youngest child that's liked the most. It's actually the eldest! While eldest children around the world have had to be the example for their younger siblings and parents being extra strict on them, it looks like there was a good reason.
Golden child syndrome, or being a “golden child,” is a term typically used by family, and most often by parents, to refer to a child in the family that's regarded as exceptional in some way. The golden child is expected to be extraordinary at everything, not make mistakes, and essentially be “perfect.”
The best students tend to be the oldest of three children, with a brother less than two years younger than them and a sister at least five years younger. Birth order studies are a dime a dozen, but scientists have spilled far less ink on sibling configurations.
First borns (fb's) are unique in a family system. They are the only children who have their parents exclusive focus, time and energy. These children have the unobstructed resource of parental attention. However, parent's attention is both on the child and that child's environment.
The research also revealed that older siblings are the most competitive, but also the most successful, with sisters being more competitive than brothers. Holiday destinations, parenting skills, and who drives the best car are also among the areas that bring out competitiveness among siblings.
Younger siblings may be especially vulnerable to trauma because they are in an earlier developmental stage than the rest of the family. While older siblings and parents will be much more equipped to cope with the stress, the youngest child may feel left behind or not understand how to handle their emotions.
Many previous studies looked into this relationship. There is evidence that the first born children experience more stress than their younger siblings. Weiss (1970), conducted a study to assess the relation between birth order and anxiety.
You're also more likely to develop depression if you are between ages 45 and 64, nonwhite, or divorced, and if you never graduated high school, can't work or are unemployed, and don't have health insurance.