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First-born children are smarter than their younger siblings, new study finds
WCVB ^ | Feb 11, 2017

Posted on 02/12/2017 5:48:11 AM PST by BenLurkin

Scientists say the discovery could explain the "birth order effect," when children born earlier in families reported higher wages and education levels later in life.

Economists from the University of Edinburgh, the Analysis Group and the University of Sydney closely reviewed data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. More than 5,000 children were monitored from pre-birth to age 14, each undergoing assessments every two years.

Tests included "reading recognition, such as matching letters, naming names and reading single words aloud and picture vocabulary assessments."

(Excerpt) Read more at wcvb.com ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: bellcurve; iq
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To: exDemMom

There have been several studies finding a positive relationship between the detail a young child puts into telling a story or drawing a picture, and achievement in adulthood.


21 posted on 02/12/2017 6:32:26 AM PST by oblomov (We have passed the point where "law," properly speaking, has any further application. - C. Thomas)
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To: chrisser

“Maybe it has something to do with a few years of undivided attention from parents”

-

MY first born got only 12 months of undivided attention,I very much doubt that it had a great impact on her intelligence.


22 posted on 02/12/2017 6:32:56 AM PST by Mears
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To: BenLurkin

Doesn’t this study also prove that keeping the mother home raise the child increases life success?


23 posted on 02/12/2017 6:38:03 AM PST by RedWulf (TRUMP TRUMP TRUMP!)
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To: Renegade

My sister is 4 years younger than me and thinks calculus, algebra, trig, and the like is fun and simple.

I barely passed algebra.

On the other hand, I was good at reasoning long winded accounting problems. My sister would go into meltdowns.


24 posted on 02/12/2017 6:40:55 AM PST by wally_bert (I didn't get where I am today by selling ice cream tasting of bookends, pumice stone & West Germany)
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To: BenLurkin

Being the firstborn of eight, I can tell you all that there are exceptions...


25 posted on 02/12/2017 6:43:29 AM PST by Blue Collar Christian (I thank God, Broom Hillary was stopped. Now, moving on, I pray for Trump.)
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To: BenLurkin

Some of us who were first born children were told early on we were “the example” for our younger siblings. We were expected to use good manners, get good grades and be responsible for watching over our younger brothers and-or sisters.


26 posted on 02/12/2017 6:45:42 AM PST by MamaDearest
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To: BenLurkin

The sad part of studies like this is they use statistical noise to make predictions that are used for social engineering. These small variations in intelligence & birth order may be due to any number of factors.


27 posted on 02/12/2017 6:52:02 AM PST by JayGalt
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To: MamaDearest

At my high school, the 1st born girls were better looking and higher achievers than their younger sisters.


28 posted on 02/12/2017 6:56:35 AM PST by Trumpet 1 (US Constitution is my guide.)
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To: metmom

IQ is highly correlated with income


29 posted on 02/12/2017 7:00:16 AM PST by rb22982
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To: BenLurkin

bull ....


30 posted on 02/12/2017 7:03:23 AM PST by smokingfrog ( sleep with one eye open (<o> ---)
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To: BenLurkin
not necessarily smarter but had more time spent on them by the parents during their formative years than those that came later...
31 posted on 02/12/2017 7:08:15 AM PST by Chode (may the RATS all die of dehydration from crying)
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To: BenLurkin

Damnit


32 posted on 02/12/2017 7:08:23 AM PST by Eddie01 (It's 13 deg. f out and I want ice cream)
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To: BenLurkin

My sister who is 2.5 years younger than me used to sit behind me at home when my mom was using flashcards to help me leasrn my letters in first grade. My sister would call them out before me. I used to get furious. :-)


33 posted on 02/12/2017 7:13:09 AM PST by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped)
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To: BenLurkin

This belief is why the first born was the first in line to be king and we all know how well that turned out...


34 posted on 02/12/2017 7:18:16 AM PST by Smittie (Just like an alien I'm a stranger in a strange land)
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To: Blue Collar Christian

I was born near the middle of a line of nine children. Every single one of us is/was pretty smart, but there seems to be no correlation between birth order and level of intelligence. Also, formal schooling performance is varied throughout the strata.

Both of my parents were very bright, both were voracious readers, and my mother talked to us a lot. Oh, and none of us attended school before grade 1.


35 posted on 02/12/2017 7:20:43 AM PST by Bigg Red (The best f-word we can apply to Obama on this glorious inauguration day is "former".)
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To: BenLurkin

You know why this is true? Age of the parents. My grandmother was a 25 year old farm wife with a young healthy husband when my mother was born. She was in her 40, with a sick husband and two jobs when my youngest uncle was born. My mother was a little girl with no indoor plumbing, a one room school house and the second car was a mule or your own feet because her dad was working with the truck. When her brother was born, they lived in town and he had no farm chores. Everyone lavished attention on him because nobody wanted him to have it hard like they did. So, he grew up as charming brat who made horrible choices but was so cute the whole family bailed out over and over again.


36 posted on 02/12/2017 7:25:15 AM PST by stellaluna
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To: zerosix

Now, now, zerosix. 33% of the world’s most important inventions and science originated in Scotland...a tiny place that could fit into Texas 3 times with more of Texas left over. Scots are not referred to as “canny Scots” for nothing. Most of the population of America at the time of the Revolutionary War was Scotch/Irish. Scots have a few tiny failings, but being dumb isn’t one of them.


37 posted on 02/12/2017 7:34:58 AM PST by kiltie65
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To: BenLurkin
There are too many cases in life where "intelligent" people are failures and average or below average intelligent people end up being great successes.

I think it is more nurture than nature.

If ALL first born were more intelligent, then most definitely it's nature over nurture.

I've watched older kids in families, and often times those kids have a "bossy" attitude. Being a leader isn't about being the smartest, it's about attitude and drive.

The kid who is the leader in the house among his siblings (peers), will take those tendencys out into the world with them. Likewise, a child who was following, will have a tendancy to follow when they are out of the house.

This dynamic seems break down when there is an aggression between siblings. I have seen younger siblings who bucked their older siblings "authority", who later in life are as much or more so a leader than the older sibling.

Also, parents with 3 or more kids can tell you, that each of their kids, though coming from same parents, can have different personality traits. These traits can be displayed at the youngest of ages. They don't suddenly manifest themselves when a child is 2.

People are wired up a certain way in the womb, then once they are out, environment takes over.

38 posted on 02/12/2017 7:43:47 AM PST by mountn man (The Pleasure You Get From Life, Is Equal To The Attitude You Put Into It)
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To: nuconvert

Yeah I heard this many yrs ago too. Not true.


39 posted on 02/12/2017 7:48:19 AM PST by Karoo
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To: exDemMom
Back about 17 years ago, I was at a local county fair with my buddy and his family. At the time they had 4 kids.

Their 3rd child had a VERY independent streak. Not rebellious, just independent.

All the kids had to hold an adults hand when we were walking somewhere. Nathaniel had an explorers heart and would often forget to hold on and start marching off at his own pace. Not running away or anything. Just following his own interest.

I let him go and just followed close behind. His walking had "ATTITUDE" that I laughed at.

When I mentioned my observations to his parents, they laughed. They and their parents noticed and commented about this with Nathaniel.

He was about 3 at the time. He's about 20 today and the most driven and successful so far of his siblings.

40 posted on 02/12/2017 7:53:56 AM PST by mountn man (The Pleasure You Get From Life, Is Equal To The Attitude You Put Into It)
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