The Social Birth Order Theory
The Social Birth Order Theory
In the world of psychology, nature versus nurture is a common theme theorists attribute to differences in the personalities of children. However, there may be other influences that have greater impact early in life. When it comes to the disposition of a person, the order in which they were born within a family leaves an ineffaceable effect. A child’s inclination toward certain personality traits can be the result of their inherent position within their family. Many famous psychologists theorize about and study the effects of family birth order among siblings. The most renowned psychologist in the world, Sigmund Freud, broke away from a group of his original psychoanalysts due to a dispute about birth order (Webspace). The leader of those contradicting him was a Austrian Medical Doctor named Alfred Adler who lived from 1870 through 1937.. Adler’s studies on birth order are what he is best known for (Webspace). Adler had a social standpoint on the birth order theory and many other theorists disputed his view with biological standpoints of their own (Bnet). The main difference between Adler and other psychologists was that he believed his theories were “heuristic” (Webspace). He knew that they were helpful in understanding people, but not scientific actualities (Webspace). He was more open minded compared to Freud and recognized the impact of internal as well as external factors in each patient’s life. He knew that how a person perceived their own position in their family was just as influential as their actual birth order (Stein). Adler was the first theorist to credit a patient’s brothers and sisters for having an influence on their early life and development (Webspace). The positions within the sibling group were categorized into only, first, second, middle, and youngest children. Each associated character trait appears in the child only if they view themselves as having that position in the family. For example, a
In the world of psychology, nature versus nurture is a common theme theorists attribute to differences in the personalities of children. However, there may be other influences that have greater impact early in life. When it comes to the disposition of a person, the order in which they were born within a family leaves an ineffaceable effect. A child’s inclination toward certain personality traits can be the result of their inherent position within their family. Many famous psychologists theorize about and study the effects of family birth order among siblings. The most renowned psychologist in the world, Sigmund Freud, broke away from a group of his original psychoanalysts due to a dispute about birth order (Webspace). The leader of those contradicting him was a Austrian Medical Doctor named Alfred Adler who lived from 1870 through 1937.. Adler’s studies on birth order are what he is best known for (Webspace). Adler had a social standpoint on the birth order theory and many other theorists disputed his view with biological standpoints of their own (Bnet). The main difference between Adler and other psychologists was that he believed his theories were “heuristic” (Webspace). He knew that they were helpful in understanding people, but not scientific actualities (Webspace). He was more open minded compared to Freud and recognized the impact of internal as well as external factors in each patient’s life. He knew that how a person perceived their own position in their family was just as influential as their actual birth order (Stein). Adler was the first theorist to credit a patient’s brothers and sisters for having an influence on their early life and development (Webspace). The positions within the sibling group were categorized into only, first, second, middle, and youngest children. Each associated character trait appears in the child only if they view themselves as having that position in the family. For example, a
Cited: Birth Order. Child Development Institute. 13 Jun 2008 <http://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/development/birth_order.htm>. “Birth Order." Encyclopedia of Psychology. 2001. BNet. 13 Jun 2008 <http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_g2699/is_0003/ai_2699000393/pg_2. > Ekim, "Birth Order - Evolution At Its Best?." Serendip 11 Nov 2007 13 Jun 2008 <http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/1427. > "Frank J. Sulloway, Ph.D.." Center for Learning and Teaching. 1997. Binghamton University. 13 Jun 2008 <http://www.clt.binghamton.edu/sxc/events/biography.htm>. "Personality Synopsis." All Psych Online. 03 Mar 2004. Heffner Media Group, Inc.. 13 Jun 2008 <http://allpsych.com/personalitysynopsis/adler.html>.