Does birth order influence our attitudes? The present study examined the effects of birth order on attitudes toward climate change and racism. Three hundred and two par- ticipants from two American universities completed a questionnaire about climate change, family constellation, and racism. The results showed initially no significant correlations but after controlling for gender, age, sibship size, parent’s education, and conflict with parents the results showed that lastborns had significantly higher racial prejudice than only children and firstborns. Moreover, the results showed that gender and age influenced our attitudes. For the former, men were less concerned about cli- mate change and had a higher racial prejudice toward immigration compared to women. For the latter, the older we become, the less conservative attitudes we will hold.

The purpose of this study was to examine if there was a relation between birth order, gender and locus of control. There where 162 participants in the study, 44 men, 115 women. Birth order was coded into three levels. There where no significant differences between birth order and locus of control. The result showed that female participants where more external when it came to locus of control. When birth order was coded into two levels, there was a significant difference in locus of control. Only-borns where significant more internal than the other sibling groups. Firstborns/ only-borns where significant more internal than both second-born and last-borns. There was no interaction effect between birth order and gender. Adler´s sibling theories and Rotter´s theory of locus of control helped to explain the significant results found in this study.

The Relationships between Gender, Birth Order, Family Structure, Emotion, Creative Personalities and Technological Creativity of Fifth Graders Pei-jen Chang Abstract The main purposes of this study were (a) to investigate the differences of fifth graders¡¦ performances on technological creativity in different induced moods; and (b) to explore the relationships between gender, birth order, family structure, emotional straits, creative personalities and the fifth graders¡¦ performances on technological creativity. An unequal group pretest-posttest design was employed in this study. The participants consisted of 3 classes of fifth graders, randomly distributed into 3 groups: the experimental group A (n = 42) which received positive mood induction, the experimental group B (n = 33) which received negative mood induction, and the controlled group (n = 38) which didn¡¦t received any treatment. The employed instruments were The Questionnaire of Emotional Traits, The Questionnaire of Emotional States, The Inventory of Personal Traits to The Development of Technological Creativity, and The Test of Technological Creativity. The applied analysis methods were Descriptives, Multiple Analysis of Variance, Multivariate Analysis of Covariance, and Canonical Correlation. The findings and conclusions of this study were as follows: 1.Induced positive moods were a better facilitator for the fifth graders¡¦ performance on technological creativity than induced negative moods as well as neutral moods. 2.Positive emotional traits were able to promote the fifth graders¡¦ performance on the invention of creative products. 3.Gender differences in the fifth graders¡¦ technological creative performance were evident. While the boys¡¦ abilities to combine technological concepts were better than the girls¡¦, but their abilities to invent creative products were worse than the girls¡¦. 4.Birth order and family structure had no significant effects on the fifth graders¡¦ technological creative performance. 5.Personal traits had significant effects on the fifth graders¡¦ performance on the invention of creative products. Among all personal traits, ¡§knowledge¡¨ had the most significant effect on the fifth graders¡¦ technological creative performance. 6.Gender, birth order, family structure, mood, emotional traits, and creative personalities had significant correlations, and gender had the highest correlation with technological creativity of the fifth graders. Finally, some suggestions were proposed for teachers, relative educational institutions, parents and further study.

<p>The purpose of this study was to examine if there was a relation between birth order, gender and locus of control. There where 162 participants in the study, 44 men, 115 women. Birth order was coded into three levels. There where no significant differences between birth order and locus of control. The result showed that female participants where more external when it came to locus of control. When birth order was coded into two levels, there was a significant difference in locus of control. Only-borns where significant more internal than the other sibling groups. Firstborns/ only-borns where significant more internal than both second-born and last-borns. There was no interaction effect between birth order and gender. Adler´s sibling theories and Rotter´s theory of locus of control helped to explain the significant results found in this study.</p>

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 158-176). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

The Sibling Niche Differentiation Model (Sulloway, 1996) suggests that an individual’s birth order acting as a proxy for within-family environmental factors like age, size and strength relative to ones siblings influences the strategies used to gain resources and minimize sibling conflict. Recent within-family birth order research (for example Paulhus, Trapnell and Chen, 1999; Healey & Ellis, 2007) has found a systematic effect of birth order on personality, with firstborn siblings found to be more conscientious and secondborn siblings more open to experience. However, an examination of birth-order effects by independent raters, has been lacking in the birth order literature. Furthermore no prior examination comparing the type of stimulus material used to elicit participant responses has been conducted. Study 1 (N = 203) sought to replicate previous birth order findings for the two Big-5 traits Conscientiousness and Openness to Experience, while also testing an alternative explanation (hypo-masculinization hypothesis) for observed birth-order differences (Beer & Horn, 2000). Study 2 compared the efficacy of four different types of stimulus material (rankings, ratings, independent ratings and real-world scenarios) in observing birth order effects (combined N = 544), while also testing novel predictions about the saliency and generalisability of birth-order effects on personality outside the context of the family. General support was found for the Sibling Niche Differentiation Model across studies and across stimulus materials, but limited support was found for the nature of within family personality differences between siblings extending to contexts outside the family environment.

Existing literature on resilience portrays middle-born children as vulnerable. Middle-born children have to face many risks, such as a tendency towards delinquent behaviour, having poor relations with family members, being low achievers and harbouring negative feelings. Many children who face risk and who consequently are in danger of maladaptive outcomes manage to bounce back from these risks. Such children are called resilient. Research suggests that resilience among children is a common phenomenon, but no literature exists that focuses specifically on resilience among middle-born children. Because of personal experience, I as the researcher believe middle-born children can display resilience in the face of their particular risks. The purpose of this study therefore was to explore, by means of a literature study and empirical research, what the antecedents of resilience among middle-born children might be. This was done by using a concurrent triangulated mixed method design: Six resilient middle-born children completed a self-report questionnaire (RSCA) and participated in semi-structured interviews. The findings were mixed and allowed understanding of what encourages resilience in middle-born children. This study contributes to theory by identifying the resilience-promoting processes (both intra- and interpersonal) which contribute to resilience among middle-born children. This study's findings also transform the stereotypical view of middle-born children as vulnerable only. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2011

Existing literature on resilience portrays middle-born children as vulnerable. Middle-born children have to face many risks, such as a tendency towards delinquent behaviour, having poor relations with family members, being low achievers and harbouring negative feelings. Many children who face risk and who consequently are in danger of maladaptive outcomes manage to bounce back from these risks. Such children are called resilient. Research suggests that resilience among children is a common phenomenon, but no literature exists that focuses specifically on resilience among middle-born children. Because of personal experience, I as the researcher believe middle-born children can display resilience in the face of their particular risks. The purpose of this study therefore was to explore, by means of a literature study and empirical research, what the antecedents of resilience among middle-born children might be. This was done by using a concurrent triangulated mixed method design: Six resilient middle-born children completed a self-report questionnaire (RSCA) and participated in semi-structured interviews. The findings were mixed and allowed understanding of what encourages resilience in middle-born children. This study contributes to theory by identifying the resilience-promoting processes (both intra- and interpersonal) which contribute to resilience among middle-born children. This study's findings also transform the stereotypical view of middle-born children as vulnerable only. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2011

The Sibling Niche Differentiation Model (Sulloway, 1996) suggests that an individual’s birth order acting as a proxy for within-family environmental factors like age, size and strength relative to ones siblings influences the strategies used to gain resources and minimize sibling conflict. Recent within-family birth order research (for example Paulhus, Trapnell and Chen, 1999; Healey & Ellis, 2007) has found a systematic effect of birth order on personality, with firstborn siblings found to be more conscientious and secondborn siblings more open to experience. However, an examination of birth-order effects by independent raters, has been lacking in the birth order literature. Furthermore no prior examination comparing the type of stimulus material used to elicit participant responses has been conducted. Study 1 (N = 203) sought to replicate previous birth order findings for the two Big-5 traits Conscientiousness and Openness to Experience, while also testing an alternative explanation (hypo-masculinization hypothesis) for observed birth-order differences (Beer & Horn, 2000). Study 2 compared the efficacy of four different types of stimulus material (rankings, ratings, independent ratings and real-world scenarios) in observing birth order effects (combined N = 544), while also testing novel predictions about the saliency and generalisability of birth-order effects on personality outside the context of the family. General support was found for the Sibling Niche Differentiation Model across studies and across stimulus materials, but limited support was found for the nature of within family personality differences between siblings extending to contexts outside the family environment.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Toronto, 2005.