First-borns are known to hold the authority over their younger sibling since they are the eldest among the siblings. First-borns are expected to be respected by their younger siblings and ensure that peace and order are maintained when their parents are not around. But did you know that aside from having authority and responsibility for their siblings, science says that they are also the smartest?!
Siblings are all equals in the eyes of their parents. Of course, it is only right for parents to love and treat all of their children fairly. However, it is also undeniably true siblings are different individuals who have unique personalities.
In a research conducted in the University of Edinburgh, researchers discovered that first-born children tend to be smarter among all of their siblings. The study shows that this is because they are the first to be born in the family, the time and attention of their parents are solely focused on them, thus they received more mental stimulation as compared to their siblings.
The researchers who worked with Sydney University gathered and examined data from 5,000 children. From their birth until they reach the age of 14 years old each child was tasked to take a reading comprehension and picture vocabulary test every two years. And the result shows that first-born children aced the exams better than their siblings.
According to the researchers, this is due to the fact that although each child got equally loving parents, still parents spent less time on brain-stimulating activities with the younger siblings. In addition, parents have been found to let their guard down after giving birth to their second child thus some parents smoke and drink more as well.
The lead researcher, Dr. Ana Nuevo-Chiquero said that the findings of their research could be used to explain why siblings have different achievements in education and employment in life.
Other researches show that first-born children are not only smarter than their siblings. For instance, a psychologist and professor from New York University named Ben Dattner says that first-born children also tend to be more ambitious, goal-oriented, and responsible as well.
A research conducted at the University of Essex discovered that first-borns are 16% more likely to pursue higher education as compared to their younger siblings. While Belgian psychologists explained the characteristics of first-born children that make them different from their younger siblings.
“First-borns tend to be responsible, competitive and conventional, whereas later-borns have to ‘distinguish’ themselves and create a specific niche by being playful, cooperative, and especially, rebellious,” Belgian psychologists Vassilis Saroglou and Laure Fiasse explained the differences between first-borns and their siblings.
But to those who are not a first-born child out there, there is no need to feel bad about yourself. After all the IQ test conducted by the researchers show an interesting pattern- the first-born child have a 1.5 IQ points higher than their siblings. Although they score a bit higher than their siblings, it doesn’t mean that the younger siblings are not capable of being successful in their chosen careers.
In addition, the study failed to prove that birth order has any effect on their emotional stability and creativity.
What do you think about these findings? Share your thoughts below and don’t forget to tag your siblings down the comment section!