Study Reveals Middle Children Are More Honest, Humble, and Cooperative Than Their Siblings

“Research suggests that middle children may possess distinct personality traits that make them more agreeable and honest compared to their older and younger siblings.”

January 27, 2025: A new study challenges stereotypes about middle children, revealing they may possess traits that set them apart positively from their siblings. The research highlights that middle children tend to be more honest, humble, and cooperative compared to their elder and younger counterparts, reigniting the debate about how birth order influences personality.

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The idea of birth order shaping personality was first introduced by Austrian psychologist Alfred Adler over a century ago and has sparked discussions ever since. While stereotypes often portray firstborns as assertive and responsible, youngest children as indulged, and middle children as overlooked, recent findings provide a fresh perspective.

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Canadian researchers Michael Ashton from Brock University and Kibeom Lee from the University of Calgary used the HEXACO Personality Inventory to measure traits such as honesty-humility, agreeableness, emotionality, and openness. Their findings showed that middle children scored the highest in honesty-humility and agreeableness.

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These results suggest middle children are more likely to forgive others, compromise, cooperate, and manage their tempers effectively. They also tend to avoid manipulation, exhibit a lack of interest in wealth or luxury, and do not feel entitled to elevated social status. Interestingly, youngest siblings followed middle children in these traits, while eldest and only children scored the lowest.

Despite these findings, other research has questioned the connection between birth order and personality. For example, a 2020 study argued that there is no definitive link between personality traits and birth order, challenging long-held stereotypes about only children being narcissistic.

Prominent figures like Martin Luther King Jr., Madonna, Warren Buffett, and Abraham Lincoln stand as examples of middle children who defy the notion of being “overlooked,” further illustrating the potential advantages of being in the middle.

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birth order study, middle children traits, personality and birth order, honesty in middle children, humble personalities, sibling comparison, HEXACO Personality Inventory, psychological research