Birth order, personality

Actually there's a very classic theory about it, by Alfred Adler. Adler claimed that the firstborn child is given care and love without having to share it with his siblings. That situation changes when a second child joins the family, and the elder child realize that now he has to share the attention of the parents, with his sibling. Adler referred to 3- child family, and predicted that the middle one has most chances to develop and become a healthy grown up, as he never suffered from "loosing the crown", because he was the second, While the elder child has most chances to have problems in life.

For further reading- Adler's birth order theory . 

i'm doing a case study on this at the moment and it's very interesting, it was founded by Alfred Adler a Austrian psychiatrist, it was all generilised basically as all family's are different Eg one trate is a only child will grow to play one person off against another in order to get their own way, this has transcended from playing the mother and father off against each other as a child as this was the best way to get what you want, but if they had a single parent this would not happen obviously. but in general this is how birth order personalitys go.

Birth Order
Typical Characteristics
Only Child

• 
  Pampered and spoiled.
• 
  Feels incompetent because adults are more capable.
• 
  Is center of attention; often enjoys position. May feel special.
• 
  Self-centered.
• 
  Relies on service from others rather than own efforts
• 
  Feels unfairly treated when doesn't get own way. 
• 
  May refuse to cooperate.
• 
  Plays "divide and conquer" to get own way.

First Child

• 
  Is only child for period of time; used to being center
  of attention.
• 
  Believes must gain and hold superiority over other children.
• 
  Being right, controlling often important.
• 
  May respond to birth of second child by feeling unloved and neglected.
• 
  Strives to keep or regain parents' attention through conformity.  If this failed, chooses to misbehave.
• 
  May develop competent, responsible behavior or become very discouraged.
• 
  Sometime strives to protect and help others.
• 
  Strives to please.

Second Child

• 
  Never has parents' undivided attention.
• 
  Always has sibling ahead who's more advanced.
• 
  Acts as if in race, trying to catch up or overtake first child. If first child is "good," second may become "bad." Develops abilities first child doesn't exhibit. If first child successful, may feel uncertain of self and abilities.
• 
  May be rebel.
• 
  Often doesn't like position.
• 
  Feels "squeezed" if third child is born.
• 
  May push down other siblings.

Middle Child
of Three

• 
  Has neither rights of oldest nor privileges of youngest.
• 
  Feels life is unfair.
• 
  Feels unloved, left out, "squeezed."
• 
  Feels doesn't have place in family.
• 
  Becomes discouraged and "problem child" or elevates self by pushing down other siblings.
• 
  Is adaptable.
• 
  Learns to deal with both oldest and youngest sibling.

Youngest Child

• 
  Behaves like only child.
• 
  Feels every one bigger and more capable.
• 
  Expects others to do things, make decisions, take responsibility.
• 
  Feels smallest and weakest. May not be taken seriously.
• 
  Becomes boss of family in getting service and own way.
• 
  Develops feelings of inferiority or becomes "speeder" and overtakes older siblings.
• 
  Remains "The Baby." Places others in service.
• 
  If youngest of three, often allies with oldest child against middle child.

Hope this helps, all the best

All the responses you got were insightful -- however, this is just a reminder that it always depends on the people, both parents and children, themselves.  There are common traits that tend to show up in children depending upon their birth order, but just keep in mind that these traits are not written in stone, and all people can change. 

Having said all that, a friend's family seems to follow the typical pattern:  my friend, the baby, was spoiled rotten, while the oldest son was pressured to be more like his father.  The middle child, a girl, got kind of lost in the shuffle, and still has some dysfunctional issues to work through (addictions).

As Gandhi said, "Be the change you wish to see in the world."

Yes...they very definitely have traits that go along with their birth order.  A great book to read is Birth Order by Kevin Lehman.  It talks about the general traits and then how these traits may be altered according to parents way of discliping and training.

Hi,

Hi,