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This paper will reveal the impact a person's birth order has on the psychological aspect of a human beings personality. The reader of the paper will become familiarized with the concepts involved in the Birth Order theory, and achieve an understanding of the effects it has on human psychology. The theorists and theories, as well as specific characteristics relating to first borns, middle children, last borns, and only children will be presented. Finally, the reader will be enlightened with aspects regarding an individual's family orientation, relationship development, and career interest in relation to a person's birth order.
2.0 Discussion.
2.1 Theories and Theorists.
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Alfred Adler (1870-1937), an Austrian sociologist, first coined the concept of birth order as a psychological influence of human behavior and began to explore the advantages and disadvantages of being a first born, middle born, last born or only children (Porch NP). Adler believed that a person's psychological makeup is defined in their childhood years and by the roles they play within their family in relation to their siblings (Fulgham NP). Adler pioneered the birth order theory and introduced it as one of his five legitimate methods to determining psychological behavior and tendencies; the other four are physical constitution and appearance, formative education (parenting attitudes), social/economic situation, and gender roles (Stein NP). Adler also related birth order to the "inferiority complex", in that if person's goals are not achieved or if their ideal lifestyle is not lived up too, then they will feel a sense of inadequacy that will greatly affect their personality (Stein NP). .
Other theorists, namely Dr. Kevin Leman, have adopted this philosophy of "the birth order effect" as the basis of their psychiatric practices. Leman feels similar to Adler, in that the order in which a person is born and their orientation within their immediate family as a child is a direct influence on their behavior throughout their entire life (Leman NP).
