Study Finds Middle Children Exhibit Exceptional Cooperative Traits

Research reveals that birth order and family size influence personality, with middle children scoring highest in honesty and agreeableness.

A Canadian study published in 'PNAS' analyzed over 700,000 participants using the HEXACO personality model to assess the impact of birth order on personality traits.
Middle children, or 'sandwich children,' scored highest in honesty-humility and agreeableness, traits associated with cooperation and fairness.
The study also found that individuals from larger families displayed stronger cooperative tendencies, influenced more by sibling count than birth order.
Firstborns were observed to be more responsible, while youngest siblings showed higher creativity and risk-taking tendencies, consistent with longstanding stereotypes.
Religious upbringing appeared to reduce personality differences tied to birth order, highlighting the role of external factors in shaping traits.