Discussing the recent Norweigian study on birth order, scholars point out an interesting implication: middle children usually get the worst deal.
I posted on the Norwegian study a few days ago, highlighting its affirmation of the fact that firstborn children typically have the highest IQs. It's important to realize that the 2.3 point IQ difference between firstborns and second-borns is quite significant. Berkeley psychologist Frank Sulloway points out that it gives firstborns a 13 percent greater chance of getting into a good college. It's equivalent to an extra 45 points on the SAT test, which can make all the difference for an admissions committee.
While the Norwegian study focused on males, the sample size was extremely large. All 18 year-olds in Norway must register for the military and take IQ tests, providing researchers with really good data to evaluate the effects of birth order. Moreover, the study's conclusions support numerous other studies conducted on men and women in several other countries. Sulloway's book Born to Rebel summarizes this evidence.
Some critics have pointed out that other factors--such as the death of a parent, or the presence of grandparents in the home--can also affect the IQ distribution in the household. This is certainly true, but it only means that birth order is not the only factor. What everyone seems to agree on is that middle children get the least parental attention. Dalton Conley, author of The Pecking Order, says that while middle children don't necessarily have the lowest IQs, they are "25 percent less likely to be sent to a private school...and they're five times more likely to be held back a grade."
To the old adage, "Choose your parents carefully," I must add a corollary, "Choose your date of conception wisely."
Reader Comments ( Page 3 of 3)
31. I AM THE MIDDLE CHILD-TWO SISTERS AND TWO YOUNGER BROTHERS. I DON'T LOOK LIKE ANYONE AND I AM THE ONLY WHO IS NOT NAMED AFTER ANYONE. I BELIEVED VERY STRONGLY THAT I WAS ADOPTED. BUT NOBODY CAME LOOKING FOR ME. TO THIS DAY, I BELIEVE THAT I WOULD NOT BE MISSED (EXCEPT BY MY DAUGHTER) IF I DIED TODAY. MY MOTHER HAS NOT SPOKEN TO ME FOR OVER A YEAR, BECAUSE I DID NOT MAKE HER DINNER WHEN SHE CAME HOME FROM HER VACATION, EVEN THOUGH I ASKED HER AND SHE SAID NO!!!! ALL MY PROBLEMS STEMS FROM MY MOTHER. SHE IS VERY CONTROLLING, DEMANDING, OVERPOWERING.
DEBBIE at 1:50PM on Jul 22nd 2007
32. I can't support religious fundamentalists of any flavor. They believe in the most absurd things without a shred of evidence. Arguing about whether the bible or koran should be interpreted as anything other than folklore and fairytale doesn't interest me in the least.
Joe Bob at 2:06PM on Jul 31st 2007
33. oops, how did that end up on this page?
Joe Bob at 2:09PM on Jul 31st 2007
34. I am totally intrigued. I am the third child of 4 (1 boy - the eldest, and 3 girls - that makes me a girl!!). I have experienced many different cultures in my life, as my parents were involved in education abroad - both trained as teachers and went to work abroad - where they met and got married. I had a wonderful childhood - but it seems that when I talk to my siblings about what i percieved as our shared experience - they did not seem to enjoy it as much. Just to pick up on a point that has been made earlier, about how a middle child gets far less parental attention - has anybody factored into the equation that a middle child has more than enough attention (good and bad) from their siblings. I cannot remember a time that I was ever left alone by my brother and sisters - I felt totally loved by my elder siblings (my brother - because he always tried his best to entertain me - and he always played with my feet and pretended that my toys had real voices, and my elder sister because she always had loads of arguments with me when we were young, but has been the most perfect friend since we are older) Perhaps the statistics that a previous commentator wrote is quite right - perhaps having (allegedly) the lowest IQ makes me kind of a bit thick to what is going on (not that my family has ever taken the measure to test anybodys IQ) - for example thinking far too intelligent things when you are three that predispose you to being as cynical as adults before you have had any real experience of being an adult. That brings me to my baby sister - who I will eternally adore, no matter what she does or how hurtful she can be towards me - recently she made a comment about how she believed that her (youngest) and he (oldest)and then my older sister appeared to be in order of intelligence (her first (youngest), then him (oldest), then my older sister (second born)then me - stupidest).I accept her judgment of me from her standpoint - that would be because I can see her position - I wonder, with all her intelligence, will she ever see mine - that it has never mattered to me about intelligence - I still adore her. I know that she could not take a judgement like that from me - I am not allowd/or would ever want to make her feel that bad - I learnt that from my parents when she was born (and I was 20 months old) perhaps someone should have been at hand to test my IQ then. Does emotion and real survival show up on IQ tests?? i am sure I don't know - only because I haven't had to learn it. But I have had to learn many immeasurable things in my life - to be tolerant and understanding first. It goes with the territory of being a middle child. The hardest thing that I have to do in my life is to try and be understood in my relationship - he cannot accept me because he does not understand the tolerance and love (despite his lack of promises to me - he is the youngest of two - boys - and he cannot understand why I haven't had a massive strop and tried to manipulate relationships in the way that he does). Any answers/questions/insights. Could it be an intersting study to find out how many middle childrens marriages last - my Mother is a middle child, my Father on the other hand is the oldest of two (perhaps he had too high an IQ in relation to my mother and that is what made him have an affair with a young woman - after having 4 children and being married for 20 years)My "middle child" mother is the most unselfish person that I have known. She has the intelligence (I don't know her IQ - sorry - but she is extremely well read/interested/enthusiastic/loving/open/understanding - but most of all not possessive). It seems to me that the people with the highest IQs (first borns - by all accounts, closely followed by the last borns - are massively and obsessively emotionally challenged and therefore feel that if they can't manipulate an experience to thier percieved benefit, thier only option is to hurt someone - by disloyalty, manipulation, emotional blackmail, overconfidence.....whatever it may be - so long as they are able to keep the position they were born into. Is it too stupid a suggestion to consider that adults should stop pandering to the position in the family and start considering the miraculous mark they can make on future genertions if they stopped being so self obsessed & just got on with life?
Siani at 5:25AM on Aug 4th 2007