Are older siblings more intelligent?

I agree 100% but some of us older siblings are also outgoing too.  

Yes, my older brother is so much smarter than me!

I am the oldest in my family, so yes, I think the older sibling is more intelligent.

I say younger!!

Being the middle of three kids I am kinda biased when I say that I think the second child is smarter than the first. This is because the have someone to observe so they learn faster. Again I am kinda biased being the second child and the only girl (since females are smarter)

In our family it is the opposite.  As 2nd born I had MUCH better grades than my older brother, but was not very outgoing until he left for college.  I think I was able to learn from his mistakes.  My wonderful brother never met a stranger and from him I learned how to be open and welcome friendship.  What great teachers older siblings can be.

i am the younger sibling but i still think that my sister is a lot smarter than i am and i am defenatly way more outgoing!

Of course older siblings are smarter! I'm the oldest of five boys and I can testify that I'm smarter than my brothers (tongue in cheek) Of course, I was the first to become born-again so what does that say about me? Nothing,but, God gets all the glory for that!

i am the youngest of threee and i think the oldest have more "book" knowlegde but the younger have more comon sence!

NO WAY!! I'm the youngest of 6 and closest to my 2 brothers in age, when I entered into high school as a freshman I was in Geometry, well both my brothers one was a senior and one a junior were both in the same math class! Even now, just having turned 21 this year my older siblings come to me for help and advise with certain things. I'm very well read and all throughout high school my teachers told my parents I was the best student out of the 6. On the other hand I have been told that I'm one of the most outgoing. lol I guess I've got the best of both worlds.

In my case it's backward. I am more acedemically gifted than my older sister and she was way more out going and social.

It is also that case with my kids. My youngest is a better student and my oldest is way more out going.

NO WAY!! I'm the youngest of 6 and closest to my 2 brothers in age, when I entered into high school as a freshman I was in Geometry, well both my brothers one was a senior and one a junior were both in the same math class! Even now, just having turned 21 this year my older siblings come to me for help and advise with certain things. I'm very well read and all throughout high school my teachers told my parents I was the best student out of the 6. On the other hand I have been told that I'm one of the most outgoing. lol I guess I've got the best of both worlds

I guess I should have also added that my sister and I are 12 mo and 13 days apart in age and my kids are 5 1/2 yrs apart in age. So, I don't think that has anything to do with it either.

I guess I should have also added that my sister and I are 12 mo and 13 days apart in age and my kids are 5 1/2 yrs apart in age. So, I don't think that has anything to do with it either.

i agre with both. im the youngest of 4, im 12 im not very out going but im goofy. i do think the eldest can be smartest but not all; the time. my name is emilee pilisdorf.

I'm the first born and my sister is the smarter of the two of us. I consider my self the "experimental" child five year later when my sister came along my parents had already made alot of their mistakes

I dis agree becauese i am smarter than my little sister in some ways. But at her age she has progressed further than i did at that age. I think it varies by house hold and family life. But i do think that most parents are harder on the oldest and slack abit on the younger child thus allowing it to be more outgoing/ social

Kelli,
I too do not agree with this study.  I am an only child, but my husband is the middle child of two other brothers.  Growing up, they expected him to do more not his older brother.  He was the one that got a job, while his brother continued to get an allowance.  My in-laws say all the time how they do not have to worry about my husband because they know he is the smart one with a good head on his shoulders where as his brother is three years older and they are still bailing him out.  Love you guys, Love the show, and thanks for all that you do.  

Veronica

i have a 9 yr old daughter and an 8 yr old son
my daughter is very mature for her age and my son is VERY  outgoing .....BUT! ....MY SON IS AT THE TOP OF HIS CLASS  while my daughter while being mature is at the level where she should be ...so not always is this true...of course my son now is not the youngest,,,i have an 8 month old so we shall definitly see!!!
and since im on of the middle children and dont know any of my brothers and sisters imma have to say IM THE SMARTEST OF THEM ALLLLLL!!!!!

I'm the youngest & I think I am both! Just don't tell my older sister that!

No way! My big brother is the social one (nick named 'soc' ion high school because it's short for 'social', and my little brother is the certified genius, literally.

NO WAY!!!!! I am the third born of four girls and am the only one to have gone to and graduated from college witha degree in Accounting. I always received higher grade then all my sisters during our school years. Sorry Scott but you are very wrong.

I agree with Kelli. My son (the youngest) is smarter than my daughter. But my daughter is by far the bossier one!

I don't agree at all.  My youngest sibling is not the most outgoing, and my older brother more intelegent?  well thats debatable.
I look at my wifes side of the family and she is the oldest probably the smartest, but her youngest sibling is not the most outgoing.  Thus, birth order probablyhas something to do with things, but probably not to the effect that they are claiming.

I disagree I am the youngest of three and the only girl.  I am not outgoing at all.  The middle son in our family is the most intelligent and the most outgoing in our family.  I am smart but he out smarts me.

I am the oldest of five and I don't think I'm the smartest .... but I think my siblings perceive me as the smartest due to my birth order.  I am the sounding board, opinion giver and nurturer to my brothers and sisters.  I probably advise and suggest with authority and have them all fooled. I love them and admire how much smarter and successful I believe they are than me!  But hey the study is probably right as I'm sure they are smarter than me.  lol

I agree with Kelli, however as the oldest in my family, I am the most outgoing and by FAR the most intelligent, yet, I also have 3 kids, and my youngest is both the most outgoing and by FAR the most intelligent, so guess they just need to admit that only God can determine our intelligence or drive for success!

No, I disagree, even though i am the oldest child in my family . I actually think that the youngest child is the smartest because he or she is learning things from their older siblings. At least thats how it is with my little sister she's five and she has known how to write her name, say the abc's, and count to 20 since she was 2 1/2 wich was wayyy before i did But i also think that the youngest is also the most energetic because he or she has the other siblings to play with and since they are the youngest they get most of the attention. it's sinple

Much to my dismay, my younger sister is smarter than I am although I take tests better than she does.  It is probably my fault.  In order to study difficult subjects in high school I "taught" them to her, so she got a head start on the stuff I struggled with.

um i grew up with one big brother and um well he gets so much attention cuz my perents expect him to do so much that i have a lot of alone time and im homeschooled so i have to teach my self and i wouldnt say im smarter cuz taylor is very smart i say we are the same but sometimes i think i am a lot more sosial

I am the youngest (only girl) of 2 older brothers and the oldest he is good looking and athletic, my middle brother has the brains and personailty with a great sense of humor..and I just happen to be both of them combined as the youngest- good looking, athletic, smart and have a great personality!

I happen to think I am pretty smart. I am the oldest AND youngest in my family and if you can't quite figure out why...just ask the super genius that is Scott. Let's see how smart he really is...lol! ;)

No way are older siblings smarter! I'm the first boy-3rd child of 4 and I think I am the smartest! Also the best looking!

i agree with  kelli im the youngest of 5 siblings and im the samrtest they are all shy and i am more outgoing it could be im smarter cause i went to a private school and they didnt but im definitly smarter and the youngest!

Just took a poll at work and determinined that defenatly, not the case.  Besides they really need to better define what they mean by these terms.  

I am the oldest of six and 3 of my younger siblings have been in jail and have had DUI's 4 of us six did not graduate highschool. I am finishing Nursing school. Am I Smarter I think so!
I also think I have a very out going personality.

I think it totally depends on what you call "smart."
My brother is a NASA scientist.  doesn't know a word of any other languade. He's also VERY social.  It takes him HOURS to read a 2 inch book.
I'm an ASL interpreter, and French interpreter. I can read a 3inch book and 2 hours.

I agree totally.  Of course I'm the oldest, but in High School I was on the shy side and my younger Sister was my opposite.  She was a varcity cheerleader and dancer. True...true... true.

*language

I do not agree! No WAY - everyone is unique, the smartest is the smartest, has nothing to do with age.

I see a pattern here - the younger siblings are seizing their opportunity to push back against this theory so your own survey is now corrupted by this uprising.

But the older ones usually are smarter.

But it's a younger one who will be more likely to take chances for God and do great things!

It's all good - children are a blessing

I am the oldest of three and I have to say that I am the smartest and least outgoing of the bunch. My younger brother seems to be able to make friends with just about everyone while I tend to shy away. I think the study is very accurate!

I believe it depends on the person. In my case, I don't think that's true. I'm the baby, and my older sister asks me about advice. My older siblings I have to set them straight sometimes about things...lol. I'm definitely more outgoing as well. Even when I was a kid, I was always hyper, outgoing, social, and full of personality. Woohoo!

I am the oldest, I am not the smartest but I may be the most outgoing along with our youngest brother. There are 5 us I think the 2nd is the smartest in my opinion. I have 3 children the oldest thinks she is the smartest but she isn't but she is the least outgoing. The next two are both very outgoing and very smart all 3 are exceptionally intelligent! So Scott sorry you are not "right" but it is ok to be wrong sometimes.

I am the younger sibling, with a brother that is about 3 years older than me. He is much more outgoing than I am. To further contradict the study, I have a higher GPA than he does. Then again, we have both been blessed with brilliant minds, which makes for some great healthy competition. I'm not too sure about the legitimacy of this study... 20 years of experience tell me otherwise!

When it comes to my two kids I will agree that the youngest is more outgoing but who is smarter that is a toss up! Both very intelligent in their own ways!  When it comes to my siblings, my sister who is the middle child, is the smartest (book knowledge) but I think myself the youngest is the most outgoing. The jury is still out on my oldest sibling.

My older sister might agree with me that the 2nd child (me) and 4th (baby of the family) child - my youngest brother are the smartest - both of us have college degrees, always took the hardest classes we could to challenge ourselves, etc.  But she would say she is the one with common sense (we just smile and nod).  She and my younger brother (3rd child) took the easiest classes they could to get by.  To this day, 2nd and 4th are in more technical and higher paying jobs. But I do agree that youngest is far more outgoing than any of us.

i agree with Kelly, i am the youngest in my family

I agree with Scott, I am the oldest, even though I may not be the smartest compared to my siblings but when I was younger my parents were told I would never be able to read but now I am going to Spring Arbor University with a 3.3 GPA from high school. My brother who is the youngest is the most outgoing for sure.

Ok If the old one is smarter and the younger is more out going   The question is WHAT ABOUT THE MIDDLE ONE.  What is he.. by the way I am the middle child

No, the younger sibling is the smarter one because they watch and learn from the older siblings mistakes.

My son is 4 he is the oldest he is so smart and funny he is always ahead of his milestones since he was born. He will always be my little clown trying to make everyone smile. My daughter is 2 she is quite and is behind she only just started walking at 18 months and she is my little Diva. Both are my little blessing both very different.

Of my four children, I was just glad that my oldest graduated high school! However, my youngest scored 3pts higher on his ACT scores in the 6th grade than my oldest did when he finished school.

I have 2 sons & this is so true with them! Isaiah the oldest, is in trig in college AND ENJOYS IT!!! Caleb is in hair design school & loves doing & talking & going & being artistic.
I'm the oldest & always did better than my little sister in school but she's now an engine captain for the US Forestry Service. That's waaaay more 'outgoing' than I would ever attempt...even in my dreams!!!
I'm safe in my drama-less life in Roseville, CA running a dress shop. I'm blessed!

I agree that the oldest have the advantage of more interaction with parents and parents having higher expectations for the oldest child. Also, parents tend to mellow out as they age and place less emphasis on unimportant things. However, in my mind this simply means that the oldest children will be more driven and therefore achieve closer to their maximum ability rather than being "more intelligent." That just hasn't been what I have observed. And I'm sure you're wondering....I'm the youngest!  

My parent were divorced with kids from previous marriages!  I am the youngest on both sides!  I am also the oldest from them being together!  I am very outgoing and definitely
at the upper level of the smarts department!  8 of us total!!

I am the first born of 3. The middle child is the smartest, without contention and the last born is very smart but the most outgoing of us all!! Funny, cause I tend to take credit for that saying that I did not want to be selfish and so, before I left my mother's womb, I left my smart genes in there for my brother!!

Just because a sibling learns something first doesn't make them smarter, it just makes it look that way!

I am the middle sibling of four and I would agree that my oldest brother seems to be smarter than me, but I would also say that I’m much wiser than he is.  He just makes the stupidest life choices!!! so I don’t know what is considered to be less intelligent not understanding something and doing it wrong or understanding something and doing it wrong anyway? Well that’s my opinion on the subject.

I have disagree that the oldest child is the smartest.  I am the oldest of my siblings and I am definently not the smartest one.  As far as social goes I'm pretty social, but not anymore than my siblings.  I think you are who you are no matter what order you were born.

I did my science fair project last year on the effect of birth order and gpa. I found that the closer to being the first born a child was the higher gpa they were more likely to have. But you also have to keep in mind that the first of each gender is technically a first born and if there is a gap between siblings of 5-7 years (I've heard different numbers) then the next child is another first born. So with that information it changes the way you see who a first born is, there can be more than one in a family.

I have to disagree.  I am the 4th of 5 kids and I am the smartest of the lot...heehee.  No really, I was the only child to take college courses when I was a senior in high school, graduated 2nd in my class, and graduated Magna Cum-Laude in college.  My older brother who is the 2nd child is the most outgoing...he never had any trouble making friends and was never without a girlfriend.  My younger brother who is the youngest is a recluse, he loves spending time alone working on his art.  My sister who is the oldest.....well, she's just bossy.  I guess you could say my siblings and I are the complete opposite of this poll....but thats ok because we get along and love each other very much.  

I believe there is a study that does state that first born have higher I.Q.s but that youngeest siblings are more successful.  They attribute this to the younger sibling working harder.

see how dumb I am I even forget to add to in the above statement that was supposed to read, "I have TO disagree.  See there

I believe 100% that oldest are most intelligent. I had a class named Modern Problems and we were on this subject. Our teacher divided us up according to our birth(1st, 2nd or 3rd in family) and gave us an article to read. she told us to get in a circle with our group and read quietly. After about 15 minutes she stops us and makes us look around the room. The first borns (me included) were the only ones in a circle formation and only ones that read the whole time. The other groups were more and more noisy and not in a circle. It was shocking and quite funny to see.

I have two children, a boy(oldest) and a girl (youngest, 7 year difference in ages.  Although they both tested about the same in school, my youngest made a point higher on the SATs.  However, my oldest have more common sense than my youngest.

I have to agree with Scott. Being the oldest of 4, I have had more experience with life and the way things work. Having said that...my younger brother is a wiz in school in subjects that I am not. I guess in the end you would have to define what you mean by intelligence.  

I am way smarter than my older sister!  

Im the youngest and i am more out going, though my brother is VERY smart i got to learn from all of his mistakes..so sometimes i feel smarter!!

Hi Scott & Kelli,

I think it depends on many factors, it's not just cut and dry.  If you want to compare as it pertains to GPA, then me, being the youngest, has more smarts, and currently have a 4.0 GPA in the doctoral program that I'm currently pursuing.  My oldest sister, who I'm very close to, and have been through thick and thin, hasn't accomplished educationally as I've chosen to do.  She has a bachelors degree in Mass Communications, and was a Radio DJ, in both secular and Christian radio for many years.  Her programming was and is very similar to "Delilah", and she had a tremendous following for each station that she worked for.  She is currently working as a substitute teacher in Michigan, and is married to a wonderful husband and has 2 children.  I, on the other hand, am currently pursuing a doctoral degree, am single with no kids - YET!  I'm 46 and she is 9 years older than I.  She partially raised me, along with three other siblings between us.  We came from what was like a single parent household.  She tremendously impacted my life, and after I moved from Florida to Nashville, TN, shared her passion for music and ended up working in the Christian Music Industry as a booking agent, promotions person and event coordinator. She is also partially the reason that I became a Christian.  I love my oldest sister dearly, but she is very proud of me and the accomplishments that I've experienced.  I think we are both smart, but her life just led in a different direction than mine.  I'm very proud of her as well, as she's been a wonderful role model for me, Mom and wife to her husband and her kids and has personally sacrificed a lot to help me be where I am today.  I would do anything for her, and I'm sure the same is true for her.  Thanks for the opportunity to share.  Have a blessed evening!

Carol

the oldest sibbling usually matures faster and because they have more 1 on 1 time with parents they learn alot with out experiencing getting into as much trouble. I am the oldest of 3. My younger sibblings spent more time with trial and error. They are both more out going than I am but I tend to set back watch and learn.

It depends! people it depends i was the youngest and then my sister died...then my brother was born so now i'm the oldest he's olny six so right now i'm the smartest but for different people and different familys...

I am the middle child and I have to say that from MY experience, neither my older brother or little sister were very book smart or common sense smart...and both were equally out going they were both very popular in school and have GREAT personalities...my brother has a huge heart for others and can't stand to see anyone in need and my sister would give you the shirt off of her back so both of them are also very giving.

As for me & my siblings...the oldest is the smartest & more mature but it could be that I'm 11 yrs older than them so I've had YEARS of experience that it seems like they just don't have a clue to, even though they are now 28 & 29 yrs old. I was way more self sufficient at their age & still am.

BUT as for my two kids...so far the youngest (age 15) is winning this contest by far. I pray every day for God to knock some common sense into my oldest son (age 22).

well to tell you the truth that i was the smarter student in all my class and then my brother isn't up to my standard and i am the oldest, but then science is science. but god made us exactly with perfect amounts of smarts and looks and talents soo i believe both the youngest and oldest are smarterin their own ways because were all different i mine i think just thinking we're smarter because we're older is interesting but i do i agree with scott we get drilled on the most and learn much more and the youngerest are the ones that are outgoing but can use there brains pretty well so overall i think that we're both smart in different places.

My older brother (53) is extremely intelligent, constantly getting A's on tests like electronics, FCC license, computer engineering, etc...

But!!!  He doesn't have a lick of "common sense"!  I have heard that this is common, that a genius is always thinking so deeply that they seem to miss the things happening right in front of them.  A jet could land on the freeway right in front of him and he wouldn't notice it.

R U running a fever Scott? Younger=better

I think it depends. On. What kind of. Smarts u r talking about. Cause my little sister is very book smart and I am more common Sense smart I am the oldest.  And she is the youngest

so i tried to call in but didn't get an answer, I'm the youngest of 9 kids thats right i said 9.  I also have a twin brother.  I don't know if i would say either was older or younger but i didn't learn alot from my older sisters and brothers. I learn what to do and what not to do.  But my oldest sister is pretty special.
Elizabeth Kirsch
Evansvile, Indiana

I am the youngest of 6...3 boys 3 girls and by far the smartest of all (which my siblings would agree).  In school I was the straight A student, everything came easy to me.  I thank GOD for the older sibs though, they were always teaching me things and protected me from any and all harm.  GOD truly blessed me in the sibling line-up.    

I am the 3rd of 4.  2 older brothers and a younger sister.  I don't see that the oldest is more intelligent than the rest. We are all pretty intelligent with a lot of common sense.  I do think the youngest is more outgoing.  

I have 2 sons who are both equally intelligent and outgoing.  

Heard you on the radio this afternoon.  I have 3 children.  Each one is equally intelligent, but each one has their individual talents.  In our case our oldest and youngest were shy and our middle son was very social from a very early age.

I don't think this study is valid.

I dont know about that... I'm the oldest, and I'd love to say I'm the smartest but I'm not. I'm the more outgoing one in the family. I'm the bubbly and optimistic one. My youngest sister is the smartest by far!

I'm a middle child so i agree. 100%

I'm the middle child of 2 siblings and I'm (no offense, sis) smarter than my older sister, physically and mentally. I'm the kind of girl who studies and works hard while sis, on the other hand, likes to dilly-dally and annoy me. (BTW, I'm 12 and she's 14) I love her so much, but its true when I say I'm smarter. My bed is littered with school books and school related things, while her bed is littered with clothes and magazines. So, what I'm saying is that saying the eldest is more smart is wrong. Totally wrong. Thanks KLOVE! Love and prayers all the way! :*

I am the oldest & my middle sister is the smartest.
My husband is the youngest & he is smarter than his sister.
My kids are all smarter than each other in different areas.

Women in general are smarter than men b/c, when God made man, life was not complete or He would not had to have made woman...but then my kids say kids are smarter b/c God thought life was complete b/c kids were the final creation...LOL

I'm the oldest in my family and am definitely the more intelligent, but I think that the arachnoid cyst my brother has on his brain stem, which hindered some of his learning ability.  My kids, however are a different matter.  My daughter, whose the youngest, is more intelligent than her older brother.  I think it just depends on the person and not whether they were born first or not.

kevin leman had that figured out years ago

well, i am the youngest by 4 years, i am now 14, and my brothers are all 18, 20, and 27. so we used to play the "who is smarter game" and i did pretty well actually. yes, they knew a little more than me, but i did pretty well for the age difference. usually it was the 18 year old and i, and i won almost every time!!!

Whether I want to admit it or not, the study is generally true based on my experience. I was the youngest of three children growing up.  There is no doubt that my sister, the oldest, is by far the smartest in terms of raw intelligence. My brother, although not as smart as our sister, is still smarter than me.  However, I am happy to say that personality and outgoingness definitely tracked in the opposite direction!    

I totally agree with kelli.I am the yougest and think my older brother is the Dumbest thing that hit earth...

no because im the middle one so im in between but i still say my bigger sister is still not wiser than me!!

i am the oldest of three and i say yes and it makes more than enough sense:
1st and/or only children have 2 on 1 interaction and therefore get tought more
younger children have older sibiling(s)

I am a twin and I am smarter than my twin brother, I was born first. But in his defense he has severe ADHD. Both of us required tutoring and special classes in Kindergarten and 1st grade to learn how to read. We were born sickly so we missed a lot of school and stuff. I have two older sisters. The one I grew up with she is really smart but will not apply herself. I am rather smart but I apply myself and am the nerd of the family. My sister Amanda (who I grew up with and me) both love reading, my twin cannot read so well at all. My oldest sister, who I didn't grow up with (She's ten years older than me and lived with her mom) is smart in math and wants to be an accountant of some sort (My twin is good at this stuff too, actually!). I am horrible at math and science but excel in English, Literature, and History. Joey really isn't all that smart but he is really out going but so is the oldest sister out of all four of us. I am the most reserved and the biggest nerd. My other sister is out going but can be shy. I do not believe in this birth order!

I think that the oldest is the smartest because the oldest has been alive the longest and so the oldest has had more time to learn things than the younger sibling.

Coming from a pretty dysfunctional family, both I (youngest) and my oldest sister, and my Mom were the major decision makers, providers and the ones that our middle siblings would come to, for help, direction, etc.  We helped each other survive, and experienced many of the same things that happened in our home.  My Mom regretted that this happened to us, but with a difficult marriage to a disabled spouse, she didn't know who else to turn to.  She also felt that both of us were level-headed, had "street smarts" and made great decisions, and she could trust our judgement.  This is why I shared what I shared previously, it depends on the family dynamics, and other factors that both the eldest and youngest have experienced.

I'm the second child of 5 girls. I don't know if the oldest child is the smartest but I do know that all the oldest children think they are the smartest!