According to the Psychological Birth Order Inventory, a tool used to help determine which birth order a person identifies with, first born children are perfectionists, responsible, and show a desire to please adults. …show more content…
A study done on several high school-aged siblings found firstborns to test higher in math and verbal ability than their siblings. This could, again, be attributed to the oldest child’s family environment. The oldest child is, for a small time, the only child and the main focus of the parents. (Rettner) Consequently, the child spends more time around adults than peers. The more advanced language and increased attention could give the oldest child an intellectual edge over their siblings, which is the most probable cause for the slightly higher IQ common among firstborns. (Collins …show more content…
These careers include firefighting, law enforcement, construction, education, and personal care. (Auerbach) This could be caused by the common personality traits shared by middle children: agreeable, mediator, and good team player. (Thompson) Because the middle child is considered a later born, they may also choose creative or imaginative careers. (Collins 17) When looking from a purely monetary perspective, the middle child has a lower likelihood of success, as they are more likely to earn less than $35,000 annually.