Firstborn Children Have Higher IQ Than Siblings, Study Reveals
The age-old sibling debate over who’s the smartest may finally have an answer, and science seems to side with the eldest.
A study analyzing data from three national panels in the United States, Great Britain, and Germany found that firstborn children consistently scored higher on objective intelligence tests compared to their younger siblings. In fact, in families with only two children, the older sibling had the higher IQ in six out of ten cases.
Researchers also noted that firstborns were more likely to rate themselves as intelligent, showing alignment between test results and self-perception.
However, the study made it clear that being born first doesn’t mean inheriting the strongest personality traits. Emotional stability, imagination, and extroversion showed no direct correlation to birth order.
The findings echo elements of Frank Sulloway’s Family Niche Theory, which suggests that firstborns tend to outperform later-borns on intelligence measures.
Sulloway also theorized that birth order could influence personality, with firstborns being more anxious or easily angered, and later-borns tending toward self-consciousness or impulsivity.
Yet, the study cautions that personality traits are more complex, recommending direct sibling assessments for a clearer understanding.
So while older siblings may have bragging rights when it comes to IQ, the idea that they automatically have stronger personalities doesn’t hold up to scientific scrutiny. Intelligence, it seems, may be influenced by birth order, but personality is a far more intricate puzzle.
