A recent study has settled the long-standing debate about whether birth order shapes personality, with intriguing findings about middle children. Known as the "longest-suffering" siblings, middle children have long been associated with feeling overlooked or neglected, caught between the assertive firstborns and the pampered youngest. But according to this new research, they might just be the "better" ones. This theory, first proposed over a century ago by pioneering Austrian psychologist Albert Adler, continues to spark discussion among psychologists and laypeople alike, fuelling a debate that shows no sign of fading.
While the scientific community has yet to reach consensus, popular stereotypes have persisted. Firstborns are often seen as assertive and intelligent, while the youngest children are sometimes labelled as “spoilt.” However, middle children, perhaps unfairly, are most often associated with “Middle-child syndrome,” a term popularised by WebMD that describes the experience of being "caught in the middle" — neither the oldest nor the youngest—and feeling neglected by their parents.
Middle children rule
According to Canadian researchers Michael Ashton from Brock University and Kibeom Lee of the University of Calgary, this stereotype may actually work in middle children’s favour. The study they conducted claims that middle children turn out to be “more honest, humble, and agreeable than their siblings,” as stated in an analysis of their work published by Parents. These qualities, they suggest, may actually make middle children “better.”
The study used the HEXACO Personality Inventory, a well-known test that evaluates six personality traits: honesty-humility, emotionality, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience. Middle children scored the highest in honesty-humility and agreeableness. This means that, according to the test, they are more likely to forgive others, cooperate easily, control their tempers, and avoid manipulating others for personal gain. Middle children are also less interested in lavish wealth and status, the study suggests.
{{/usCountry}}The study used the HEXACO Personality Inventory, a well-known test that evaluates six personality traits: honesty-humility, emotionality, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience. Middle children scored the highest in honesty-humility and agreeableness. This means that, according to the test, they are more likely to forgive others, cooperate easily, control their tempers, and avoid manipulating others for personal gain. Middle children are also less interested in lavish wealth and status, the study suggests.
{{/usCountry}}Interestingly, while middle children topped these two categories, the youngest siblings followed closely behind. The eldest children, however, scored the lowest on honesty-humility and agreeableness. Only children also performed poorly in these areas.
Although the study sheds light on these traits, other research has conflicted with these findings. A 2020 study cited by Parents argued that birth order doesn’t necessarily correlate with personality type. For example, the study found no evidence to suggest that only children are more narcissistic than those with multiple siblings.
Despite the debate, the idea that middle children possess certain positive traits resonates with many. Famous middle children include Martin Luther King, Jr., Madonna, Warren Buffett, and Abraham Lincoln, lending some weight to the notion that birth order might have a lasting impact on character.-
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