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Narcissism and birth order

W E Eyring1, S Sobelman

  • 1Department of Psychology, Loyola College, Baltimore, Maryland 21210, USA weyring@fit.edu.

Psychological Reports
|April 1, 1996
PubMed
Summary

This study explored the link between birth order and narcissism in 79 undergraduates. No significant association was found, suggesting further research into personality development and parenting styles is needed.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Personality Psychology

Background:

  • Narcissism is a personality construct with complex developmental origins.
  • Adlerian theory posits birth order significantly influences personality traits.
  • Previous research suggests potential links between birth order and narcissism, but findings are inconsistent.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between birth-order position and the development of narcissism.
  • To refine existing theories on narcissism and birth order.
  • To examine the association using established psychological inventories.

Main Methods:

  • A sample of 79 undergraduate students (55 women, 24 men) participated.
  • Participants were categorized into four birth-order groups: firstborn, second-born, last-born, and only children.
  • The Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) and a demographic inventory were administered.

Main Results:

  • No statistically significant association was found between birth-order position and narcissism scores.
  • Firstborn children, hypothesized to score highest based on psychodynamic theory, did not show significantly higher narcissism levels.
  • The study did not support the hypothesis of a direct relationship between birth order and narcissism in this sample.

Conclusions:

  • The findings do not support a direct link between birth order and narcissism.
  • Further research is recommended to explore the interplay of parenting styles, personality theory, and birth order.
  • Additional studies with larger and more diverse samples are needed to clarify these complex relationships.

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