Birth Orders Affect on Personality Notes for paper

Birth Order’s Affect on Personality Notes for paper that goes with Unit 5 Ch 14 Taken from: The Birth Order Book By Dr. Kevin Leman

Activity: Birth order’s influence on personality • You are going to write a paper on how your birth order has shaped your personality AND the personality of someone else in your family or a close friend who has a different birth order than you do. Explain how your birth order’s characteristics apply to you and him/her and if some don’t, explain why. Provide examples from your lives to elaborate. If you are a 1 st born or only child, you must write about someone else who is a middle child or baby (because 1 st borns and only children are very similar). You are only writing about YOURSELF and 1 OTHER PERSON. • This paper must be at least 3 pages typed (I suggest 1½ -2 pages about yourself and 1 -1½ pages about the other person. Times New Roman size 12 font. • Double space. • Do not alter the margins. • Worth 100 points!!!

st 1 Borns • “Guinea pigs” for parents • Learn from adults. Due to lots of attention, they often develop a lot of confidence. • 2 types: The nurturers/caregivers (eager to please and often taken advantage of) and the aggressive (assertive and strong-willed) • Thrive on being in control, on time, and organized • High achievers • Leaders – often serious • Precise and picky • Sticklers for rules – put pressure on themselves • Take the brunt of the blame and discipline • Analytical – love to ask questions and strong powers of concentration • Judge themselves by what others think of them • Critical • Perfectionists – hate mistakes, can lead to procrastination due to a fear of failure (may become fearful, anxious, depressed, + have feelings of guilt) • May mask it w/ a messy desk or something similar, but they still usually know where everything is.

Only Children • “Super 1 st borns” – make sure to look at 1 st born notes • More confident and articulate • Logical and scholarly • Self-centered – didn’t have to share attention or toys growing up

Middle Children • Hardest to generalize – too many possibilities • Each child is usually most influenced by the next oldest child – usually goes off in a different direction (especially if they are the same gender) UNLESS they feel they can successfully compete – if they do, role reversal may occur where the 2 nd born takes on the characteristics of the 1 st born and vice versa. • Often feel left out – tend to find lots of friends • Most secretive of all birth orders • Probably embarrass easily • Likely mentally tough and independent • Learn to negotiate and compromise • Paradox: may be a quiet loner or friendly and outgoing, impatient or laid-back, very competitive or not competitive, rebel or peacemaker, aggressive or avoids conflict.

Babies • Love attention and making people laugh • Entertainers • Outgoing • Charming • Sometimes absentminded • Carefree and vivacious • Often act before thinking • Rebellious • Temperamental • Spoiled • Manipulators • Impatient • Feel like they’re not taken seriously • Feel like they live in older siblings’ shadows • Have an “I’ll show them!” attitude • Suckers for praise • Good salesmen

Possible Exceptions • Role reversal – see middle child notes • Spacing – after more than 5 yrs of separation, a new birth order is often established • Genetics • Sibling death/serious illness – if it occurs early, the next sibling may be “bumped up” to the next birth order • Adoptions – depends on when it occurs • Birth order position of the parents – first born parents tend to run a tighter ship • Blending of families – stepsiblings may influence birth order if the families merge when the children are still very young • Gender of the siblings – lower birth order siblings may have many 1 st born characteristics if they are the 1 st male or female in their families • Multiple births – twins/triplets skew any order. If twins, the one who is “older” usually makes sure everyone knows it + takes on older child characteristics + the other acts more like a baby.

Grading: • 20 points: • Grammar, spelling (minus 1 point for every 3 minor errors + 1 point for every major error I notice). • 20 points: • Organization • 60 points: • Content – accurately described how characteristics applied OR explained why they didn’t. • Minus 20% if not typed. • Plus 10% for 1 day early. Minus 50% for 1 day late. No credit after 1 day late!!!