Impact of Birth Order on Social Intelligence: A Comparative Study

Abstract

Social intelligence is ability that includes assessing social contexts, interpreting non-verbal cues, self-regulating, and developing relationships (Thorndike, 1920; Silvera et al., 2001). Birth order contributes significantly to the development of personality traits (Adler, 1927; Sulloway, 1996). In this study, the relationship was examined between birth order and social intelligence in young adults by comparing first, middle, last, and only child individuals. The researcher employed a quantitative research design using standardized measures of social intelligence to collect data which were analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The results indicated that there are differences in social intelligence amongst individuals from different birth order groups which implies that being born into a particular order of siblings may influence one's ability to interact with other people on an interpersonal level. This study supports the idea that there might be an association between birth order and the social experiences related to social intelligence while focusing on the many other factors that influence an individual's development. This paper adds to the research on how birth order and family dynamics relate to individual development, as well as offering new options for both educational and psychological practices (Goleman, 2006; Bronfenbrenner, 1979).