Parental favoritism is the preference or perception of preference of a parent for one child over another. The present study examines parental favoritism as well as the effects perceived favoritism has on one's self-esteem and if the effects are based on birth order. Participants were 325 undergraduate college students enrolled in introductory level classes. The mean age of the participants was 21.4 with 60% being women and 40% being men. Participants completed a parental favoritism questionnaire developed by the experimenter which assessed if the participant thought his/herself to be favored by a parent compared to a sibling. Self-esteem was assessed by the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Inventory. Results indicated no statistically significant main effects or interactions for gender, birth order, or perception of favoritism based on self-esteem. Results also indicated that women perceive favoritism slightly more often than men. Critiques of the present study and implications for future research are also discussed.

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