Middle children score higher on honesty and agreeableness, study finds

A new analysis of more than 710,000 personality profiles suggests that middle children tend to be more cooperative, honest, and agreeable than their siblings. The study, led by Michael Ashton and Kibeom Lee of Brock and Calgary universities, was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and reported by Live Science Source: Clarin, Infobae.

Key findings

• Middle children scored higher on honesty-humility and agreeableness in the HEXACO personality inventory Source: Clarin, Infobae.
• They show greater willingness to forgive, cooperate in family and social settings, and less interest in material luxuries Source: Infobae.
• The effect was stronger in larger families, partly linked to religious practices Source: Clarin.

Why it happens

The researchers suggest that growing up between an older and younger sibling forces more frequent negotiation, sharing, and adaptation, which may foster cooperative traits Source: Infobae. However, the field of birth-order research remains divided: some previous studies found no significant correlations, while others found only minimal differences Source: Clarin. The authors acknowledge that more research is needed to confirm these patterns across cultures and family types Source: Clarin.

Expert perspective

Neuropsychologist Lucía Crivelli noted that the middle child often acts as "the mediator, the conciliator, the diplomat," but may also feel invisible. She stressed that these categories are not fixed, as family dynamics are influenced by variables like sibling sex, number of siblings, and parenting styles Source: Infobae. The "middle child syndrome" concept, introduced by Alfred Adler, describes feelings of neglect and isolation, though it is not an official disorder Source: Infobae.