Relationship of Ordinal Position and Sex to Neuroticism in Adults

Abstract

This study focused on the relationship between birth order, sex, and levels of adjustment of 120 male and 233 female adult college students (primarily graduate students). Subjects were approached in classes and asked to complete the Eysenck Personality Inventory and a personal data questionnaire. They were assigned to one of the three groups on the basis of their scores on the Neuroticism scale of the Eysenck Personality Inventory. A significant relationship between sex and ordinal position was found. Onlyborn males and firstborn females were overrepresented in the high neurotic group. In this same group, firstborn males and middle females were underrepresented. The distribution by sex and ordinal position in the average and low neuroticism groups was not different from chance. The present study supports the concept that there are birth-order differences with respect to sex and neuroticism.