birth order

6 Stories

Guys, Have an Older Brother? It May Play a Part in Your Sexuality
Guys, Have an Older
Brother? It May Play a
Part in Your Sexuality
in case you missed it

Guys, Have an Older Brother? It May Play a Part in Your Sexuality

Researchers find men with older brother have 38% higher chance of being gay than those without

(Newser) - Past research has suggested that men with at least one older brother are more likely to be gay—a phenomenon called the fraternal birth order effect. Now, a new study by Canadian and German scientists adds more evidence to that theory, and it points to possible antibodies produced by the...

Firstborn Kids Have Higher IQs by Age 1
Advantage for Firstborn
Kids Shows Up Early
new study

Advantage for Firstborn Kids Shows Up Early

They have higher IQs by age 1, say researchers

(Newser) - Firstborns really do have an advantage, a new UK study suggests. Research out of Edinburgh University finds that there's a measurable IQ difference between firstborns and their siblings, and it shows up as early as age 1, reports the BBC . The reason? Parents tend to spend more time with...

How Birth Order May Affect Your Weight
How Birth Order May
Affect Your Weight
study says

How Birth Order May Affect Your Weight

First-born sisters tend to be heavier as adults

(Newser) - Attention, big sisters: First-born women are more likely to be overweight or obese than their younger sisters, a new study suggests. The Washington Post reports that researchers at the University of Auckland looked at 13,406 pairs of Swedish sisters and found the older sibling was 29% more likely to...

Firstborns Have Higher IQs —but There's a Catch
Firstborns Have Higher IQs
—but There's a Catch
NEW STUDY

Firstborns Have Higher IQs —but There's a Catch

It's a difference of just one IQ point on average: study

(Newser) - Firstborns, get ready to throw this in your siblings' faces: A massive study of 377,000 high school students—the "biggest in history looking at birth order and personality," author Brent Roberts says—shows those born first tend to have higher IQs and different personality traits compared to...

Secret Perks of Being Middle Kid

Because of their birth order, middle children work well with others

(Newser) - The stereotypical "middle child" feels neglected and overlooked, and is surely at a disadvantage when compared to his or her older and younger siblings—right? Wrong. New book The Secret Power of Middle Children reveals that such ideas are misconceptions, and the truth is that middle children actually learn...

Firstborn Kids Are Smarter, Study Says

...but their brothers and sisters get better grades

(Newser) - Firstborn kids are generally more intelligent than their brothers and sisters, but younger siblings do better in school and are more outgoing, according to a new study. Previous birth-order research looked at children in isolation—e.g., how many presidents are firstborns?—but the new study examined 90 pairs of...

6 Stories