If you’re the oldest child in a family, we’ve got news for you! Apparently, you’re the smartest of your siblings, according to a new study relayed by our colleagues at Forbes magazine.
This 2016 study revealed that children born first had a higher IQ (Intelligence Quotient) score than their younger siblings.
The study
The study was conducted by Jee-Yeon K. Lehmann of Analysis Group, Ana Nuevo-Chiquero of the University of Edinburgh, and Marian Vidal-Fernandez of the University of Sydney. The research team analyzed data from the American survey Children of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth conducted by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics on nearly 5,000 children followed from birth to age 14.
In the study, researchers found that older children tended to score higher on intellect than their younger siblings as early as age one. This gap was also found to widen until school age and then remain relatively constant.
According to the research team, the analyses showed that older children received more mental stimulation and breastfeeding from their parents. In other words, mothers were less likely to take risks such as smoking or drinking alcohol during their first pregnancy. This means that parents are more attentive with the first child, while they are more relaxed with the second child, and even more so with the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, etc.
The study in question combined personality, behavior and intelligence, and the fact that parents are more attentive with the first child allows the latter to be more careful, responsible, disciplined and well-behaved. Parents’ expectations can lead him to become ambitious and more successful. On the other hand, he can also gain experience as a mini-parent and participate in the education of his younger siblings, which pushes him to be more conscientious and reliable. Moreover, other surveys have also shown that CEOs of large companies tend to be the eldest.
Several factors come into play
Birth order is only one factor that can influence personality and behavior. Other factors that can come into play and affect personality include people other than parents, the environment, the environment, television, and advertising. In addition, the family structure is different from one child to another.
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