Ordinal position and approval motivation

Birth Order and Relative Effectiveness of Social and Nonsocial Reinforcers

Undergraduates were administered a probability learning task to determine the relationship between birth order and the relative effectiveness of social and nonsocial reinforcers. Firstborn individuals performed better than later-born Ss under social reinforcement conditions. Over-all, social reinforcers enhanced performance more than nonsocial reinforcers. Findings were interpreted as supporting greater social dependence of firstborns.

Birth Order and Conformity: An Interaction Approach to Integrating Research Results

This article describes an interaction model for integrating the apparently conflicting results of research on the relationships between birth order and conformity. Rhine presented the elements of that approach. Reconciling the apparently contradictory findings is linked to the larger problem of consistency versus specificity in human behavior.

Family Structure Variables and Need Approval: Some Additional Data

Previous studies have reported various relationships between need for approval, as measured by the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (M-C SDS), and birth order, sex, and family size. In the present study (with 55 men and 61 women in introductory psychology) a tendency was found for firstborn Ss to obtain higher M-C SDS scores than later borns, a trend which is in general agreement with some earlier studies. However, none of the other previously obtained relationships was replicated. Some possible explanations are given for these inconsistent results.

Self-Guide Strength and Emotional Vulnerability: Birth Order as a Moderator of Self-Affect Relations

This study tested hypotheses derived from developmental extensions of Higgins's self-discrepancy theory. Discrepancies between one's actual self and ideal-other self (a self-guide consisting of attributes someone would ideally like the individual to possess) cause dejection, whereas discrepancies with the ought-other self (beliefs about attributes someone thinks one ought to ham) cause agitation. Self-guides also differ in strength (the accessibility of, coherence of, and commitment to a self-guide). Consideration of the features of parent-child interaction hypothesized to increase self-guide strength led to the prediction that first-borns would have strong "other"-standpoint self-guides and that their discrepancies would be more highly correlated with emotional distress than those of later-borns. It was also predicted that first-borns would have fewer such self-discrepancies. Both predictions were supported. Many birth-order findings are consistent with these results.