Birth order may only subtly affect psychological outcomes.
Although you may have personally experienced this, yourbirth ordermay only subtly affect your psychological outcomes.
Where Did the Concept of Middle Child Syndrome Come From?
Verywell / Dennis Madamba
The middle child syndrome originally came from the physician and psychotherapist, Alfred Adlerwho developed the birth order theory.
Multiple methodological problems have been identified.
For instance, many of the studies that support his theory do not look at age and race.
The self-developed questions used in the studies were often too brief, using five or fewer items.
All these variables can affect the results and conclusions of the studies.
The Birth Order Theory in Media and TV
This theory has been stereotyped through various media sources.
Researchers are still trying to figure out how birth order affects various outcomes including personality and health conditions.
However, there are some studies that looked at the effects of being born in the middle.
Three studies were published in 1998 to examine the effects of birth order on self-identity and family relationships.
Three studies showed that middleborns were less likely to feel closest to their mothers compared to first and lastborns.
The last study analyzed Internet questionnaire results and historical archives.
It showed that middleborns were less likely than first and lastborns to be interested in genealogical research.
However, middle children may be the least likely to do so compared to their siblings.
A study analyzed the results of the National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles.
There may be some truth to this.
It showed that compared to firstborns, middle and lastborn children were more likely to have problem behaviors.
A study analyzed large datasets of three national panels from the US, Great Britain, and Germany.
They are neither theoldestnor theyoungestso they may be more likely to feel stressed with feelings of insignificance.
Parents often wonder why their middle child is so angry.
Their firstborn is their special guinea pig who gave them all their first parenting experiences.
Their lastborn is the baby of the family.
As a result, middleborn children may feeljealousand neglected that their parents give more attention to their siblings.
This can lead to rebelliousness and trouble-seeking behaviors.
They may act out as a way to get approval from their parents and their peers.
They may intentionally put themselves in situations that cause problems with authority and issues in their social group.
Their position in the family can also cause them to become peacekeepers.
They do not like to take sides in the family and will compromise their needs to attain harmony.
A study looked at the relationship between identity perception and psychological birth order among university students.
It showed negative identity perceptions in middle and only children.
This leads to increased frustration,worthlessness, self-defeating thoughts andpessimism, and decreasedself-confidence.
There are plenty of ways to help your child lead a healthy, happy, and confident life.
Therapy can help a middle child understand how their past experiences affect who they are today.
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Cundiff PR.Ordered delinquency: the effects of birth order on delinquency.Pers Soc Psychol Bull.
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