Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Birth Order And Social Personality Characteristics In College Upperclassmen, James Stevens Robertson

Master's Theses

Over the past few decades, many research articles have accumulated linking birth order with different psychological variables. Much of the research was inspired by an interest developed in Alfred Adler's theory of birth order position. Historically, Adler (1931) considered birth order in the family an important psychological variable. He was strongly interested in the social determinants of personality and observed that the personalities of the oldest, middle, and youngest child in a family were likely to be quite different. These differences were attributed to the distinctive experience that each child has as a member of a social group. Therefore, going …