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Scientists “Prove” Younger Siblings Get Less Discipline
by
findingDulcinea Staff
The study’s findings are no surprise to many, raising questions about the value of such research.
30-Second Summary
Researchers studied more than 11,000 subjects and learned that parents are stricter with their first-born children. The study predicted that younger children, aware that they can get away with more than their older siblings, are more likely to exhibit rebellion and risky behavior.
The study focused on teen pregnancy and high school dropout rates, and found that parents’ treatment of their children depended in part on whether there were younger siblings present in the home.
For many reading about the study—especially those with siblings—the findings were no surprise. Studies on birth order and its influence on personality and family dynamics offer little consensus—and little knowledge gained beyond what our own family experiences teach us.
Though no one denies the value of informed scientific research, the scientific community is rampant with studies of questionable merit: studies that contradict themselves, studies that present dubious findings, and studies that get twisted by the media.
The study focused on teen pregnancy and high school dropout rates, and found that parents’ treatment of their children depended in part on whether there were younger siblings present in the home.
For many reading about the study—especially those with siblings—the findings were no surprise. Studies on birth order and its influence on personality and family dynamics offer little consensus—and little knowledge gained beyond what our own family experiences teach us.
Though no one denies the value of informed scientific research, the scientific community is rampant with studies of questionable merit: studies that contradict themselves, studies that present dubious findings, and studies that get twisted by the media.
Headline Links: Connecting birth order and discipline
A study of more than 11,000 subjects in the National Longitudinal Study of Youth revealed that parents are stricter with their first-born children. By applying “game theory” mathematical analysis to parental behaviors, researchers predicted that “last-born and only children, knowing that they can get away with much more than their older brothers and sisters, are, on average, more likely to engage in risky behaviors.”
Source: Newsweek
The study, supported by a grant from the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, focused on teen pregnancy and high school dropout rates. Findings revealed that the probability of providing free room and board to a child who dropped out of school was almost five percentage points lower if the family still had a younger child living in the household. Similarly, parents were almost 10 percentage points less likely to allow a pregnant daughter to remain at home if a younger sibling was present.
Source: Newswise
Opinion & Analysis: Behavior a product of birth order or other factors?
“I was right,” wrote Susan Reimer for The Baltimore Sun, referring to the NLSY study’s findings. “My parents were tougher on me than they were on my three younger sisters.” Reimer points out in her presentation of the study that there are other factors that influence teens’ choices to engage in risky behavior: “peers, teammates, community, school, other adults. Parents are only part of the equation.”
Source: The Baltimore Sun
Over the past 100 years, parenting experts have tried to determine how much of personality is influenced by birth order. From studies performed by Alfred Adler in the 1920s that stress the importance of birth order to author Judith Rich Harris’ argument that peers have the most influence on kids and their personalities, there’s little consensus.
Source: Parenthood.com
Related Topics: Other questionable studies
In 2006, Carnegie Mellon found that the “Internet may not cause feelings of depression, loneliness and isolation, but it does increase stress.” This study contradicts an earlier study conducted by the very same research team that found that the Internet “had a tendency to make some people lonely and depressed.”
Source: Carnegie Mellon News
In April 2008, a controversial study suggested that a mother’s diet at the time of conception could help determine the gender of her baby. The study was met with skepticism, and raised ethical concerns about gender selection.
Source: findingDulcinea
Republican presidential candidate John McCain pokes fun at the Northern Divide Grizzly Bear Project in a recent TV ad criticizing Congressional earmark funding. In the ad, he ridicules the study (which explored a method of tracking Montana’s grizzly bear population) and presents it as an example of “wasteful government spending.” However, FactCheck.org reports that McCain voted in favor of the final bill.
Source: FactCheck.org
Reference: Parenting Web Guide
FindingDulcinea’s Web Guide to Parenting highlights some of the best online resources for age-specific parenting advice. Find tips on talking to your kids about tough issues, and learn where to connect with other parents for fun and support.
Source: findingDulcinea
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