Study Says Being Firstborn Does Not Affect Career Choices Later In Life

Alfred Adler's theory on birth order says that people's personality is affected by their birth order which also affects their choices in life, like their careers. Firstborn individuals are viewed as leaders and more ambitious than their siblings, which sometimes might explain their career choices.

However, according to a new study, being a firstborn does not have as much of an influence on their career choices as what the birth order theory suggested. This is a reassuring new study because it says no matter what timeline people fit in with their siblings has little to no effect on them in their choices in life.

Birth Order Theory

The birth order theory started with Alfred Adler in his Individual Psychology theory of personality. He believed that the social and community aspects of a person is as important as their thoughts and emotions. He tried to understand social factors that could influence personality so he came up with the birth order theory that shows how the family environment shaped the thoughts and behaviors of a child.

Below is the summary of Adler's birth order theory:

A firstborn is seen as a natural leader, high-achiever, organized, on time, know-it-all, bossy, responsible, adult-pleaser, and someone who always obeys the rules.

On the other hand, the middle child is perceived as the rebellious one among the siblings. They are easy-going, flexible, social, independent, peacemakers, may feel the world is unfair, secretive, strong negotiator, and generous.

Meanwhile, the youngest child is a risk-taker, outgoing, creative, self-centered, financially irresponsible, competitive, gets bored easily, likes to be pampered, but has a good sense of humor.

Lastly, the only child tends to be close with their parents, have a good sense of self-control, a leader, mature, dependable, demanding, unforgiving, private, and sensitive.

No Evidence of Link to Career Choices

Although the birth order theory says that it can affect life choices, a new study debunks this theory. Psychologist Rodica Damian, from the University of Houston, said that there is little evidence between the link of birth order to education, status attainment, and other unexplained casual mechanisms other than a person's abilities and traits.

In an analysis of a longitudinal study conducted on 3,763 Americans in 50 years, researchers found that there is no evidence that birth order influences what jobs people will have in the future.

According to ScienceAlert, the popular idea that firstborn follow more scientific paths is not backed up by any scientific data. Researchers point out that there are many factors involved in why people end up in their careers.

Moreover, the researchers said that they found small evidence that firstborn children are usually more intelligent and better at school and in their kids. Contrary to what most people believe, firstborns tend to have careers related to creative fields, based on the data the researchers collected.

"It might be better to direct our attention to the social expectations, practices, or even parenting books that may be biasing our investments into the future of children based on their birth order as opposed to their observed individual characteristics," says Damian.