Birth Order Questionnaire

Read through the following lists and check those items that apply to you in comparison with
your brothers and sisters. If you are an only child, check those items that apply to you in
comparison with your peers.

List A List B
You tend to: You tend to:
1. be more conforming 1. be more aggressive
2. be less hostile 2. be more democratic
3. have more motivation 3. be more independent
4. be a better student 4. be more popular
5. achieve more recognition 5. value parents’ opinions less
6. assume more leadership roles 6. like solitary professions
7. be closer to your parents 7. Fight, “get into
trouble more”
8. like nurturing professions 8. be a better mixer
9. consult others when making a 9. like more dangerous a
decision activities
10. be less aggressive 10. be less verbal
11.associate more with others 11. be less likely to seek help from others
12. receive high expectations 12. be less conforming
from parents
13. have similar values to parents 13. “slide by” more
14. seek help or nurturance 14. have been brought up
from others less strictly by your parents
15. be more anxious 15. be more of a “loner”
16. have more worries 16. have been given less attention by your parents

Right down your totals for each list. If you an only or a firstborn child, the research indicates
that more of the items on List A will apply to you. If you are a later born (but not the youngest in
a large family), more of the items on List B will apply. If you are the youngest child in a large
family, your pattern will be closer to that of a firstborn. If you are a middle child, you will show a
combination of the characteristics of both lists.

First Borns
Score lower on depression than other children; exhibit less anxiety and higher self- esteem;
greater vulnerability to stress, addictive substance abuse and sensitivity to pain in adulthood.
First-born females score higher on hypochondria than later born females. Tend to compare
selves with parents and have lower self-esteem or the exact opposite due to higher positive
regard from parents. Experience dethronement upon arrival of other children. Seek out
personal interaction as a response to distress more than other birth positions. They are pace
setters and are seen as more ambitious, therefore they are given more responsibility and feel
more pressured to succeed. Generally protective, nurturing people, devoted to helping others,

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 have a strong work ethic and good organization skills. Perceived by teachers as conscientious
and thorough students. They are perfectionists, reliable and critical.

Second Borns
Compare self with siblings and peers. Are expected to become more successful in innovative
endeavors because their position requires competition against first arrivals. They labor to keep
up with the first born who was the pacesetter, this may instill a constant competitive drive. They
expect complete parental attention and often surpass the first born in achievement and
motivation, however they are not as concerned with power as first borns.

Youngest (last borns)

Report less of both processed feedback and outcome feedback from parents. Tend to compare
self with siblings and peers. They are more able to successfully pace themselves against older
siblings without feeling psychological exhaustion as the middle child does. Have good social
skills, are secure yet dependent, have difficulty in establishing autonomy (in adulthood), exhibit
feelings of inferiority and are concerned they are not taken seriously. They are accustomed to
receiving attention and thought to misbehave if they feel a lack of attention. Youngest children
also get pressure from first born but handle it better than middle children. They tend to be
manipulative, blame other, seek attention and enjoy surprises. More sociable and dependent
than children in other positions, and strives for excellence and superiority (to surpass older
siblings). Spoiled and pampered, they may continue a helpless and dependent style of life into
adulthood.

Middle Children
Compare self with siblings and peers. Competitive with older siblings labours to keep up with
them. Often struggle to find their place in the family and gain recognition. Tend to play off
whoever is older than they are and are the exact opposite. Catching up is their main goal, for
some this competitiveness turns to restlessness in adulthood. Tend to be a combination of
youngest and oldest.

Twins
If they are the only two children they will share some of the same characteristics of the
youngest and oldest child. In situations in which the minutes or hours between their deliveries
are emphasized by the family, diluted characteristics of other ordinal positions may be
experienced. They may be treated as a unit.

Marital Satisfaction
It appears that there is no correlation between birth order and marital satisfaction. The birth
order theory states that a person should marry someone who has a complementary birth order
(e.g. if you are the little sister of a family with one boy and one girl then you should marry the
big brother of a family with one boy and one girl). Adler thought this occurred because people
were used to the relationship they have with their siblings.
We could only find one article that combined Alfred Adler's theory of birth order and marital
satisfaction and it showed no correlation.

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