[C] Many people believe that birth order, the order that childrenare born into a family, can influence their personalities. Thisbelief is called birth-order theory.

Accordingto the theory, most oldest children are serious and are often highachievers. They are also reliable and conscientious. Further, oldestchildren are more likely to work in high-status professions, such aslawyers, doctors and scientists. Many oldest children are picky anddemanding---they want everything to be perfect. Perhaps it is becausefor the first part of their lives, their parents had a lot of time tospend with them. Therefore, these children probably feel theirparents’ excitement over their every action or accomplishment, andthey want to keep their parents’ attention. So, first-born childrenmay develop a greater desire to achieve.

Middlechildren are the hardest children to put into a general group. Theycan be quiet or outgoing, motivated or lazy. The personality ofmiddle children may depend on how they feel about their oldestbrother or sister. If they want to be like their older sibling, theymay also become high achievers. On the other hand, if they don’tlike the oldest child or feel as though they aren’t getting enoughattention from their parents, they might try to be exactly not liketheir older sibling. As a result, some middle children arerebellious. Further, middle children generally seem to have a lot offriends and good social skills. This might be a result of notreceiving a lot of attention at home. Rather than fight for theirparent’s attention, they will often look for attention in otherplaces.

Theyoungest child is quite different from the older children. Often,he/she is the spoiled child of the family. Normally, they are funnyand carefree, but they are also more likely to be self-centered andinsecure. The theory explains that by the time youngest children aregrowing up, their parents are often older and more relaxed. As aresult, rules for this child might not be as strict as for the otherchildren. They are also often teased by their older brothers andsisters. Therefore, they sometimes become insecure. Older siblingsalso often treat them as though they don’t know anything. Thismight be the reason why many youngest children decide to choosecareers that are not thought of as success careers, such as art andentertainment.

Whatabout an only child? Only children seem to be motivated and to feelgood about themselves. They might also be shy. Both of these traitsmight be the result of spending a lot of time around adults. Becausethey receive a lot of attention from adults, they are motivated toachieve. However, not having any siblings might cause them to be shyaround other children. Further, they are sometimes seen as selfish,perhaps due to the large amount of attention that their parents areable to give them.

Birth-ordertheory could possibly explain why you are the way you are. Thinkabout yourself and others you know, and then decide. Do you believethat birth order affects your personality?