Older siblings across the world will today scream “I told you so!” as it’s revealed they’re the smartest of them all, according to a new study.
Economists at the University of Edinburgh, Analysis Group and University of Sydney have found the first family member to possess superior thinking skills, thanks to more mental stimulation from their parents.
Although parents seemed to spread the same amount of emotional support between siblings, a discrepancy could be seen in IQ, whereby the eldest child had higher levels from as early as age one.
The study, published in the Journal of Human Resources, analysed the data collected by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics of almost 5,000 kids from pre-birth to age 14, taking into account environmental factors such as family background and economic status.
From this, the report was able to conclude that second, third and fourth-time parents appeared to spend less time on mentally-stimulating activities, and even took part in fewer extra-curriculars like reading, craft and music.
Duchess Catherine is the eldest of three, and looks pretty chuffed with the news she may just be the smartest.
Writer’s note: This would explain why my elder siblings played the drums and flute while I specialised in the triangle.
What’s more, the study also found that after the first child, parents tended to take risks with their health habits – often drinking or smoking during their second and subsequent pregnancies.
The results closely reflected that of the ‘birth order effect’, where it’s hypothesised first-born children go on to have better education and higher paying employment in comparison to younger siblings.
“Our results suggest that broad shifts in parental behaviour are a plausible explanation for the observed birth order differences in education and labour market outcomes,” says Dr Ana Nuevo-Chiquero from Edinburgh University’s school of economics.
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