Journal Article

Birth Order and Political Behavior: Clearing the Underbrush

Somit, Albert, Peterson, Steven A., Arwine, Alan

1993

Overview

Birth order has been implicated in a wide variety of human behaviors. One aspect of this is the contention that those who are first born differ in important respects politically from later born people. Actual findings from empirical research are surveyed to see the extent to which birth order affects both mass and elite political behavior. The meta-analysis suggests no clear pattern of findings supportive of the posited birth order-politics linkage; furthermore, the bulk of the studies that do indicate some relationship are methodologically flawed. It appears that further, more refined research is necessary to demonstrate that the linkage exists. /// Le rang de naissance est utilisé pour l'explication de comportements humains très divers, notamment de comportements politiques. L'article passe en revue et évalue les principales études de cette dernière corrélation qui ont été faites soit au niveau des masses soit à celui des élites. L'entreprise fait ressortir qu'il n'y a pas de lien fermement établi entre ces deux types de phénomènes. Les travaux qui concluent qu'il y a corrélation souffrent de sérieux défauts méthodologiques.

• Publisher: Butterworth-Heinemann Limited,SAGE Publications,Butterworth Scientific
• Subject: BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES / Behaviorism / Birth order / Conservatism / Elites / FAMILY / HEAVILY EMPHASIZES METHODOLOGY OR TECHNIQUE OF STUDY / Political attitudes / POLITICAL BEHAVIOR / Political behaviour / Political psychology / Political science / Political socialization / POLITICAL THEORY / Politicians / Politics / Research (birth order) / Siblings / Social psychology