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No Evidence That Siblings' Gender Affects Personality Across Nine Countries
Thomas Dudek1, Anne Ardila Brenøe2, Jan Feld1
1School of Economics and Finance, Victoria University of Wellington.
Psychological Science
|August 23, 2022
Summary
Growing up with a sister or brother does not significantly impact adult personality traits. This large-scale study found no evidence that sibling gender influences personality, regardless of birth order.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Sibling gender composition is a common factor in family dynamics.
- Previous research has yielded mixed results on its influence on personality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To comprehensively analyze the effects of sibling gender on adult personality traits.
- To investigate specific traits including risk tolerance, trust, patience, locus of control, and the Big Five personality dimensions.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from 85,887 individuals across 12 large, representative surveys.
- Covered nine diverse countries: United States, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, Mexico, China, and Indonesia.
- Examined personality based on the gender of the next younger and next older sibling.
Main Results:
- No meaningful causal effects were found regarding the gender of the next younger sibling.
- No significant associations were observed with the gender of the next older sibling.
- Results remained consistent across the overall sample and relevant subsamples.
Conclusions:
- Sibling gender does not systematically influence adult personality traits.
- High statistical power supports the robustness of these findings.
- This study suggests that family environment factors beyond sibling gender may play a more significant role in personality development.
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