The relationship of ordinal position and sibling sex status to cognitive abilities

Abstract

The influence of the interaction of ordinal position and sibling sex status on cognitive activity was examined. Results generally confirm the superiority of the first born over the second born on cognitive activity. Directional trends suggest that the presence of a male sibling enhances quantitative scores, the presence of a female enhances language scores, males having a greater effect on females than vice versa. ProbleDlThe literature regarding the effects of ordinal position on intellectual activities is inconsistent, with some studies emphasizing the superiority of the first born (Altus, 1962;Koch, 1954;Terman, 1947) and some the superiority of the second born (Hsiao, 1931;McFadden, 1929;Thurstone & Jenkins, 1929). Except for Koch's study with six-year-olds, there has been no control for age, socia-economic status, or family size. The present study replicates Koch's work with the eight different sibling combinations in two-child families in order to examine the effects of ordinal position, sex of subject, and sex of sibling (sibling sex status) on cognitive activity using adult Ss with controls for age and socioeconomic status. MethodData on the ACE (Berdie et al., 1961) was obtained for 125 male and 252 female members of two-child families (college sophomores, predominantly). The sample contained 32 M1M, 25 MM2, 37 M1F, 31 FM2, and 70 F1F, 61 FF2, 68 F1M, and 53 MF2. The notation states the sex and pOSition referent with the number following the S and indicating his ordinal position. Thus, MM2 is a second-born male with an older brother, F1Fisa firstborn female with a younger sister, etc. These groups did not differ in age by sex or ordinal position (median for all groups was 19 yr.), and 95% of all ordinal groups were in the 18-20-yr. age range. There was no significant difference between the groups when compared on a manual, non-manual socio-economic break. The ACE was routinely administered to all Ss as part of a test battery taken by all entering freshmen. These scores were obtained from the University Counseling Center. ResultsSince all of the data were presented in percentile form, the Median Test (Siegel, 1956) was used throughout the analysis. In addition, as a reflection of the malequantitative, female-linguistic adherence, Q > Land L > Q ratios are included. B. G. Rosenberg and B. Sutton-SDllth BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY(X2 = 2.58; P = .12), while females are superior on the L (linguistic) scale (X2 = 7.70; P = .01). No significant differences were obtained on the T (total) score. The Q > L ratios favor males, while the L > Q ratios favor females (X2 = 9.24; P = .01). When comparing first borns with second barns separately by sex, male first borns are superior to male second borns on the L (P = .05) and T (P = .02) scales. No significant differences obtained among the females, first born females showing a slight superiority on the L scale (P = .12). First born males show a slight predominance on the L > Q ratios (P = .20), while second born females show a predominance on the Q > L rat...

Sex-Role Identity and Sibling Composition

“…With female subjects there were five such correlations, with males only two. But again, this is consistent with earlier studies in Downloaded by [University of Iowa Libraries] at 04:05 15 March 2015 32 JOURNAL OF GENETIC PSYCHOLOGY which we have shown that females are more affected by other family members than are males (3,4). This result and the above one seem to imply that males are more affected by sex-role standards outside the home than are females.…”

Personality in Primary School Children: 3.—family Background

“…A N+ All ( 1964), Hinshelwood ( 1968), Jacoby ( 1968). Jamieson ( 1969), Rosenberg and Sutton-Smith (1964), Schachter (1959), Siegelman (1966), Singer (1964), Stotland et al (1962,1963), Staples and Walters (1961), Weller (1962), Weiss (1966), Wrightsman (1960) and Zuckerman and Link (1968) ; reviews are available in Altus (1966), Burton (1968), Sampson (1965) and Warren (1966). Cross-cultural studies have been reported by Diab and Prothro (1968) and Greene and Clarke (1968).…”

Birth Order, Family Configuration and Verbal Achievement1

“…It was hypothesized that closely-spaced siblings experience environmental influences similar to those of twins. A number of previous investigations have indicated that sex of sibling is important as well but with no consistent direction in findings (e.g., Chittenden, Foan, Zweil, & Smith, 1968;Cicirelli, 19^7;Koch, 195^, 1956;Rosenberg & Sutton-Smith, 1964). The first sample consisted of a random selection of the 1962 participants and was termed the Normative Sample.…”