Study Finds Middle Children More Cooperative

A recent study suggests that middle children may be more cooperative than their siblings, challenging long-held beliefs about birth order’s influence on personality, The Guardian reported.

Conducted by Canadian psychologists Michael Ashton and Kibeom Lee, the research analyzed data from over 700,000 volunteers. The findings indicate that middle children scored higher on traits linked to cooperation, such as agreeableness and honesty-humility.

The study also revealed that individuals from larger families tended to exhibit more cooperative traits. While previous research has shown firstborns may have slight cognitive advantages, this study highlights the unique position of middle children, who may foster better relationships with both older and younger siblings.

Ashton and Lee assert that while the effects of family size are significant, birth order also plays a role, with middle children slightly outperforming their firstborn and youngest siblings in cooperative traits. This research adds to the ongoing debate about the impact of birth order on personality development.