CORRELATION BETWEEN BIRTH ORDER AND ACADEMICS

The Correlation Between Birth Order and Academic Stress and Success in Young Adults

Ilee Folkens, Emma McKenney, Frances Storgion, Emma Beavin

Department of Psychology, Butler University

PS 210 Research Methods & Statistics I

Dr. Fabiana Alceste

April 28, 2022

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Abstract

Previous literature has established a link between birth order and academic behaviors, as well as

between academic stress and birth order. Such findings suggested that eldest children performed

at higher levels academically as compared to their younger counterparts and had higher

expectations to achieve academically from their parents. Furthermore, these studies indicated

that eldest children in the birth order are more likely to have impaired capabilities in

academically stressful situations. This study hypothesized that there is a positive correlation

between eldest children and academic stress. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a descriptive

study using a survey questionnaire that asked questions regarding characteristics of birth order

and familial environment as well as academic achievement and experiences of academic stress.

We conducted this study using convenience sampling on the population of current Butler

University college students. After running correlational statistics, we found that there was a weak

positive correlation between birth order and academic stress, but not a statistically significant

relationship. The knowledge gained from this study suggests that there are high levels of

academic stress for college-aged students and can be used to promote further study on this topic

as well as provision of aid to students experiencing high levels of stress.

Keywords: Birth order, academic stress, academic achievement, college students

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The Correlation Between Birth Order with Academic Stress and Success in Young Adults

Since the release of the 2021 animated picture “Encanto” which features a large

Colombian family with many magical talents, the internet has been buzzing. Many have fled to

the popular social media apps TikTok and Twitter to share their love for the story, the characters,

and the music from the film. Most notably, the song “Surface Pressure” sung by sister Luisa has

seen much popularity. In the song, she expresses the constant burdensome pressure she faces

from her family, singing “I’m pretty sure I’m worthless if I can’t be of service,” “If I could shake

the crushing weight of expectations,” and “see if she can handle every family burden” (Miranda,

2021). Although Luisa is the middle child of the Madrigal family, many eldest siblings across

social media have shared how they relate to Luisa’s experiences with stress and intense familial

pressure. One Twitter user stated that “As an older sister who has a lot of family burden to carry,

I resonated with [Luisa] the most” (@vimiyui, 2022). On TikTok, a quick search will generate

dozens of videos and comments of eldest siblings, especially eldest sisters, sharing how much

they relate to Luisa’s character and her song. Isabela, the actual eldest sibling of the family,

shares her own struggles in her song “What Else Can I Do?” Here, she sings, “So much hides

behind my smile,” and “What could I do if I just knew it didn't need to be perfect?” (Miranda,

2021). This song focuses on how Isabela as the eldest sibling feels she has to maintain an image

of perfection and follows her in her realization that she has greater potential outside of the

standards her family has set. These songs in particular suggest that birth order might correlate

with an individual's level of stress as evidenced by Luisa’s never-ending pressure and Isabela’s

constant strive for perfection in order for both sisters to satisfy their family.

To apply this idea to a wider population, our study examines how birth order might

correlate with levels of academic stress in Butler University college students. Our study seeks to
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answer the research question: to what extent is there a correlation between birth order and

susceptibility to academic stress based on internal and external factors? We intend to define birth

order as ordinal familial rank relative to the age of an individual in accordance with other

siblings in a family, and academic stress as the internal and external pressures that cause anxiety

in a child pertaining to their academic performance and achievement. With this research, we

hope to discover the extent to which eldest siblings in particular experience stress in an academic

setting, and we aim to use our findings to create a greater sense of empathy and understanding

towards the considerable struggles, burdens, and pressures faced by older siblings in both

individual families and society at large.

Connecting Birth Order with Academic Behaviors

The possible connection between a student’s birth order in their family and their

academic behaviors and achievements has been a highly studied but highly debated topic for

nearly half a century. Scholars have long argued the extent and even the mere existence of a

correlation, but a tentative conclusion has been reached in the last several decades. A large

majority of the field agrees that there is at least some degree of statistically significant

correlation between birth order and academic achievement (Arshad et al., 2020; Belmont &

Marolla, 1973; Hester et al., 1992; Marjoribanks, 1981). Furthermore, researchers argue that

there is a significant difference between each position in the birth order and that the elder

siblings are stronger academically than their younger counterparts (Arshad et al., 2020; Belmont

& Marolla, 1973). In a study conducted by Belmont and Marolla (1973), not only did firstborn

children consistently exhibit better academic performance across all areas tested (math, reading,

writing) but there was also a gradient level in ability, meaning that the second born children

outperformed the third born and so on. This was especially pronounced in smaller families,
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offering the possibility that as the number of children increases, academic performance declines

simultaneously with birth order. A study completed by Arshad et al. (2020) confirms this idea,

citing significant differences in achievement based on birth rank, finding that first and second

born children have large academic advantages compared to siblings later in the birth order. Going

beyond previous works, they concluded that effects of birth order remain even when controlling

for alternative factors such as socioeconomic and sociocultural status. Due to the similar

conclusions found in these studies, it appears reasonable to conclude that although the strength of

the correlation can be argued, there is little doubt that there is a relationship between the two

factors that cause a noticeable difference in overall achievement.

Both aforementioned studies encouraged further research into the theory that eldest

children may achieve the highest due to the fact that they were able to receive more parental

resources and attention than their younger siblings. This topic was studied by several other

researchers who concluded that the role of the parents in their children’s academics changed

throughout the birth order and likely altered achievement to some degree (Arshad et al., 2020;

Hester et al., 1992; Marjoribanks, 1981; Marjoribanks, 2001). As family size increases with the

birth of more children, parental resources are increasingly diluted for their later-born children,

and thus firstborn children have somewhat of a greater advantage (Marjoribanks, 2001). These

parental resources include but are not limited to time spent aiding children with schoolwork,

attention given to grades, and time dedicated to additional learning activities outside of school.

Additionally, Hester et al. (1992) proposed that homes with fewer children and two available

parental figures with higher levels of education have a more even spread of academic

achievement across the birth order. Conversely, younger children from families with less than

two available parents–such as single-parent families or two unavailable parents–had dramatically

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lower levels of achievement than their older siblings. Parents’ expectations also naturally change

for each of their children depending on their place in the family; researchers hypothesize a

stronger motivational effect on the firstborns, driving them to achieve more compared to their

younger siblings who faced less harsh expectations from their parental figures. (Marjoribanks,

1981).

Birth Order and Academic Stress

Research on birth order and stress in academic environments has been a part of

psychological literature for decades. There are at least two key connections between birth order

and academic stress. The first corresponding concept is that birth order and family dynamics

have an effect on internal and external pressures that correspond with academic stress.

Researchers suggest that familial interactions between parents and their children have a dramatic

link to academic drive and achievement of the child, varying by birth rank. These studies

theorized that the oldest children receive the best learning environment and support from their

parents, as well as the highest expectations to perform well academically (Hester et al., 1992;

Marjoribanks, 1981). Family learning environments often decrease in effectiveness the later in

which a child is born, with firstborns primarily receiving the most attention and care when it

comes to their academic performance (Marjoribanks, 1981). Along with the specific learning

environment created by the parents, the number of siblings and cohabitating parents interacting

with birth order also has a significant effect on academic achievement (Hester et al., 1992). One

finding concludes that eldest children in families with multiple siblings and cohabiting parents

resonate with many stereotypical attributes of academically successful persons (Hester et al.,

1992). From the evidence we have collected, it is reasonable to conclude that eldest children will
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feel a significant amount of external pressure from parental and familial environments, as well as

internalized attributes instilled from these environments.

The second persevering finding is that birth order combined with high-stress

environments has a significant impact on learning and performance. Researchers found that birth

order in combination with other social factors and high-stress situations has an adverse effect on

learning and academic performance (Landes, 1971; Martens, 1969). Studies suggest that when

birth order interacts with alternate forms of stress such as test anxiety or stress arising from

intense situations, there is a decrease in testing and learning success as well as motor skill

performance that was overwhelmingly found in eldest children (Landes, 1971; Martens, 1969).

Furthermore, eldest children performed the worst and received the lowest scores when placed in

situations where they felt expected by authority figures to perform well and achieve highly

(Martens, 1969). From such findings, there is evidence that different academically stressful

situations impair the learning and performance abilities of eldest children most prominently.

Analysis of previous literature has led to a reasonable assumption that there may be a correlation

between birth order and academic stress based on these two key connections: birth order and

family dynamics have an effect on internal and external pressures that cause academic stress, and

birth order combined with high-stress environments has a significant impact on learning and

performance.

The Current Study

Overall, past research findings depict a tendency towards older siblings exhibiting greater

academic success and being more readily stressed in anxiety-inducing environments in

comparison to their younger siblings. Additionally, existing research suggests that older siblings

tend to experience learning environments that push them more academically than their younger
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siblings, meaning the eldest child often feels greater pressure to succeed academically due to

their familial environment among other factors. Thus, our hypothesis predicts that there is a

positive correlation between eldest children or those with eldest child attributes and higher levels

of academic stress and success. We intend to survey a large sample of students attending Butler

University about their birth order, familial environment, academic achievement, and perceived

academic stress in order to determine if this correlation exists as we predict.

Method

Participants

We recruited participants using convenience sampling by electronically messaging

participants through connections with the authors and involvement in various activities. Links to

the study were distributed through direct messaging on various social media platforms, text

messages, and emails. We recruited 55 participants from Butler University, and the participants

were not compensated in any way. However, because several participants left responses to

crucial items blank, only 42 valid responses were utilized. Overall, the demographics of our

sample population were not particularly diverse. The participants were first-years to seniors (M =

1.83, SD = 1.10) aged 18-22 (M = 19.40, SD = 1.27). Majority of participants were White

(90.50%) followed by Asian (4.80%) and Mixed-race (4.80%). Most respondents were female

(73.80%) with fewer male (23.80%) and non-binary individuals (2.40%). This study aimed to

include the overall Butler student population and was not limited to one specific race or gender,

though due to overall campus demographics there was a higher availability of certain groups

(Butler University, n.d.).

Materials
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For our study, we gathered data using a survey questionnaire through Qualtrics (see

Appendix). The first section of the questionnaire contained basic demographic questions

regarding age, race/ethnicity, gender, and academic year.

Academic stress.

The second section of the questionnaire included questions pertaining to academics.

These questions collected data on academic standings and successes as well as academics as a

perceived stressor. With this line of questioning, we aimed to measure the participant’s level of

stress surrounding academics, and their perception of academics as a stress-inducing agent in

their life. The first four questions in this section were open-ended responses that asked about

participant’s current academic standing and amount of time commitment to their academics.

Answers to these questions helped measure the academic environment and mindset of the

participant and added to our interpretation of their answers for later questions regarding stress

specifically.

The second part of this section consisted of nine questions answered with a rating on a

scale of 1 = very low to 7 = very high. These questions aimed to measure the extent to which the

participant felt stress as a result of their academics. This line of questioning asked about both

internal and external pressures pertaining to academic performance that potentially lead to

academics acting as a stressor for the participants. One question asked, “to what extent do you

think grades are a measure of your self-worth” to gauge the participant's feelings about the

importance of their own academic successes (see Appendix). The response values per participant

were averaged; high-scoring individuals are those who demonstrated high levels of academic

stress, while low-scoring individuals are those who did not demonstrate high levels of academic

stress. Lastly, there were two yes or no questions at the end of the section asking about the
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participants' possible or diagnosed anxiety disorder. These questions added to our understanding

of our participants and increased our knowledge of possible explanations for stress outside of

academics, depending on the participant's response.

Birth order.

The third and final portion of the questionnaire aimed to measure the birth order of the

individual and the family dynamics associated with that birth order. This section began with five

open-ended questions that asked participants basic questions regarding their familial

environment, for example, number of siblings, ages, and possible non-parental figures in the

home.

The final section consisted of eight questions answered using a scale of 1 to 7 (the first

four questions using a scale of 1 = very low to 7 = very high; the final four questions using 1 =

strongly disagree to 7 = strongly agree). These questions aimed to measure the extent to which

individuals feel responsibility and pressure from their family and also targeted those who are not

eldest children by definition but may experience many attributes typically associated with eldest

children, such as family responsibility and early independence. This allows for better

interpretation of data in situations in which there are outliers.

Procedure

Using the convenience sampling method to recruit participants, individuals were directly

messaged from personal connections with the researchers such as friends, sorority members, and

individuals in assigned housing units. We chose this method of sampling because we intended to

garner data from all students of Butler regardless of academic year, gender, major, and other

demographic factors while still guaranteeing responses. Our team recognized that the data from

convenience samples would consist of responses primarily from female first-year students
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similar to our researchers; however, we hoped to collect a diverse sample nonetheless due to the

variety that exists within these groups.

Each question contained in our questionnaire consisted of either multiple choice, interval

ranking, or free response, with the exception of one slider question where the participants were

tasked with dragging the slider to their respective rank within their family, from 0 for only

children, 1 for oldest, 2 for second oldest and so on up to 15 to account for especially large

families that may exist in our sample. For multiple-choice or forced-choice questions,

participants indicated one answer from those provided that best aligned with their identity,

feelings, or beliefs. The interval ranking questions were horizontally formatted multiple-choice

questions where participants were asked to indicate the extent to which they agreed or disagreed

with a given statement on various scales ranging from 1 to 7 as described previously. Several of

the questions were free response, where the participant was required to manually enter their

response for ratio-type “how many” questions.

Upon choosing to click the link within a message requesting their participation,

respondents were directed to our Qualtrics questionnaire. Initially, they either read or likely

ignored a specified informed consent form and subsequently indicated “Yes” or “No” to whether

or not they consented to participate in the study (see Appendix). If they indicated “No,” the

software would have directed them to the end of the survey. If they indicated “Yes,” they moved

forward to view a brief set of instructions that detailed the types of questions they would

encounter, requested honest and accurate information, and assured that all data would remain

anonymous. Advancing through the survey, participants first responded to a set of four basic

demographic questions. After completing these, they encountered a page containing a series of

12 questions related to academics, beginning with simple questions regarding their GPA and
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credit hours that progressed to more complex questions about academic achievement and

possible stress they may experience surrounding it. Following this page, they were asked to

indicate “Yes” or “No” to two questions (1) whether or not they were diagnosed with an anxiety

disorder and (2) if they suspected they had an anxiety disorder (in the event that they weren’t

diagnosed). After completing this brief section, participants were prompted with a series of 13

questions relating to their birth order and family environment. Finally, after completing this

section, participants viewed a page thanking them for their participation and indicating that their

response had been recorded. No further information was necessary, so participants likely closed

the questionnaire tab on their device and progressed to other activities.

Results

Scale Development

Before analyzing the results of our data, we reverse-coded a single item in the survey

regarding family contribution in relation to birth order to verify that all items were consistently

scaled. Following the reverse-coding procedure to ensure that higher numbers always indicated

elder siblingship and greater levels of academic pressure, we averaged eight items measuring

birth order into a single scale and averaged an additional eight items measuring academic stress

and achievement into a single scale. The researchers then created composite scores of items

pertaining to each variable that were subsequently used to correlate the variables of academic

stress and birth order.

Descriptive Statistics

On average, Butler students indicated moderate to high levels of academic stress (M =

5.33, SD = 0.79) and produced results indicative of middle birth order on questions regarding

familial environment (M = 3.79, SD = 0.76). Table 1 shows that the majority of participants had
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an intermediate average of credit hours (M = 16.00, SD = 3.44) and demonstrated a significant

variation in weekly hours dedicated to schoolwork (M = 15.90, SD = 9.89). Overall, students

surveyed held a relatively high GPA (M = 3.70, SD = 0.39). We assessed for anxiety disorders

with two “yes or no” items in the event that it may affect our results for academic stress and

found that 65.90% of respondents indicated having an anxiety diagnosis, and 35.70% of

respondents indicated a suspected anxiety disorder.

On average, our participant pool consisted of second born individuals (M = 1.92, SD =

0.96 with two siblings (M = 1.62, SD = 0.99). Only children were permitted in our study as they

would have received resources equivalent to eldest children and would thus likely contain eldest

child attributes. To add to our knowledge of the participants' potential eldest child attributes, we

asked them to relay the amount of months difference they had with the sibling closest to their age

and furthest from their age. There was significant variation for both measures, with the mean for

distance between the sibling closest in age being 30.20 months (SD = 26.90), and the mean for

distance between the sibling farthest in age being 60.60 months (SD = 49.20). These items

allowed for analysis of the possible eldest child status of a participant who was not technically

firstborn due to large age gaps between them and their oldest sibling, as well as the potential that

the participant assumed a parent-like role because of large age gaps between them and their

younger siblings. Furthermore, the average number of non-parental figures that lived in the home

among participants was approximately one (M = 0.64, SD = 2.20). This item served as another

measure to evaluate the participants' level of responsibility in the home and contributed to our

knowledge of individuals with eldest child attributes.

Correlational Statistics
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After analyzing the data, we found that participant levels of combined academic stress

and birth order did not demonstrate a significant correlation between the variables, r = .16, p =

.301, as seen in Table 2. Figure 1 displays the relationship between items of academic stress and

birth order, indicating that the majority of students surveyed had relatively high levels of stress

and tended towards attributes of middle to elder siblings. Our initial hypothesis predicted a

positive correlation among eldest children with higher levels of academic stress and success, and

although there is a positive correlation among the variables, it is far too weak to be considered

statistically significant. Thus overall, we must conclude that the results from the data we

collected fail to support our hypothesis.

Discussion

This study aimed to examine the relationship between birth order and levels of academic

stress in Butler University college students, focusing on the extent to which there is a correlation

between birth order and family dynamics on internal and external pressures that correspond with

academic stress and achievement. We hypothesized there to be a positive correlation between

eldest children or those with eldest child attributes and higher levels of academic stress and

success in comparison to those of lower birth rank. However, despite finding a weak positive

correlation, our results ultimately failed to support this hypothesis as there was a lack of

statistical significance between the two variables.

Many past research findings supported the notion that older siblings demonstrated greater

academic success in comparison to their younger siblings due to their differing familial

environments growing up (Arshad et al., 2020; Hester et al., 1992; Marjoribanks, 1981;

Marjoribanks, 2001). Our results found a small correlation between these two variables;

however, they were not statistically significant, r = .16, p = .301. Given our rather small sample
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size consisting primarily of secondborn children, it is likely that our sample size was not diverse

nor large enough to determine significant differences. Our results indicated that generally,

regardless of birth order, students had both relatively high academic achievement and academic

stress. A previous study on birth order indicated that eldest siblings tend to respond most

negatively and readily to stressful situations, and we thus hypothesized that eldest siblings or

those with eldest sibling attributes would be found to experience higher levels of academic stress

based on a number of other similar findings (Martens, 1969). However, this was found not to be

the case according to results from our conducted survey.

Implications

Ultimately, although we did not find any significant correlation between birth order and

academic stress and achievement, our findings demonstrated that the majority of our participants

experience moderate to high levels of stress as indicated by a mean score of 5.33 on a 7-point

scale for items related to academic stress and achievement. This finding suggests that students at

Butler University are experiencing concerningly high levels of stress due to variables outside of

birth order and familial environment. This high level of stress could be due to a variety of

possible factors; among these might be academic standards at Butler University, difficulties with

the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, or the struggle faced by young adults in attempting to balance

academics, employment, and social life among other potential confounding variables. However,

it is also important to note that more than half of our respondents are diagnosed with anxiety

(65.90%), and it is probable that this altered our results pertaining to academic stress as well.

Although Butler University has a variety of services and resources in place to aid students with

stress and other matters of mental health, these are often underutilized. To resolve this pertinent

stress and anxiety epidemic on campus, it may be beneficial for the university to hold regular and
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well-promoted sessions on mindfulness and stress management techniques to effectively aid

students in need.

Limitations

It is essential to acknowledge that our results were obtained by methods of convenience

sampling and ultimately based on a sample of 42 students in attendance at Butler University. It is

highly probable that the results we obtained may not be generalizable to the population of

students at Butler University nor colleges elsewhere given that the vast majority of our small

sample were white female first-years. Due to the convenience sampling that was used, it is

possible that the participants had similar academic behaviors and perceptions of stress. Those

surveyed were members of similar social groups to our researchers, meaning it is highly

plausible that our respondents would consist of like-minded individuals and thus be found to

report similar answers.

Additionally, though we utilized a variety of questions assessing multiple aspects of our

variables regarding birth order and academics, our responses were self-reported, meaning

response consistency is not guaranteed, for each participant has a different internal measure of

their experiences. Without having an objective way to measure our variables, it is difficult to

combine the experiences of many individuals into one conclusion. The study can only indicate

how our specific participants felt about their family and academics at the time they responded to

the survey and cannot offer background data on family dynamics and the education that they

have received thus far, ultimately making the data more subjective.

Finally, birth order and academic achievement are complicated matters on their own and

combining the two could lead to a variety of confounding variables. Because we did not run an

experiment of any kind, we could not control for any of these confounding variables that might
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be influencing responses or the overall correlation. As previously mentioned, there are many

resources that eldest children receive that younger children do not, yet the allocation of resources

could also be based on variables such as socioeconomic status, location, or parental education.

All of these examples could have been confounding variables that influenced the relationship

between birth order and academics, and because they cannot be ruled out, it is unreasonable to

assume that birth order has an effect on academic achievement.

Future Research

For future research related to our hypothesis on birth order and perceived academic stress

and achievement, it would be beneficial to have a significantly larger and more diverse sample

size that better reflects Butler University’s overall demographics. Being able to access several

hundred students would allow for a more accurate assessment of the student population that

could be greater generalized across campus. Beyond Butler University, this topic of investigation

could be applicable to college students across the country. By expanding this survey to reach

students across the nation, we may be able to provide data on whether college students are

generally experiencing similar levels of stress or if the high rates at Butler University would be

considered abnormal. Additionally, the application of our hypothesis might be improved if we

were to randomly sample participants rather than using convenience sampling in order to control

for confounding variables that could not be mitigated through non-probability sampling.

Due to the fact that this study utilized a survey assessing correlation, it was not possible

to establish a causal relationship between the two variables. Given the opportunity to have more

time and resources, it could be beneficial to run an experiment in order to establish a possible

causal connection. Although birth order is not something that could be manipulated in an

experiment, academic stress is a variable that could possibly be altered. In this case, researchers
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could present both a control and experimental group with an exam similar to what they would

receive in a post-secondary educational setting. While administering this test, participants’ stress

levels could be measured either through observation or physical monitoring of symptoms such as

sweating, heart rate, or shaking. Researchers could conduct interviews prior to and after the

exams to collect data on possible internal stress and motivating factors for academic

achievement. Regardless of how an experiment would be conducted, testing the hypothesis with

data of this nature as opposed to self-reporting would likely lead to clearer connections.

Finally, due to all the possible confounding variables, it is recommended that other

studies be conducted on additional reasons for the high levels of stress exhibited in the

respondents. We focused our research on birth order and academics as previous literature had

suggested the difference in parenting styles and expectations might impact children to perform

differently. However, shifting the focus to studies on allocation of resources due to other societal

factors (socioeconomics, race, location, social status, etc.) in addition to or independent of birth

order could yield further explanation for the overall increased stress that was observed in this

study. Variations and replications of these studies would hopefully provide a more holistic

understanding of motivators of academic achievement.

Conclusion

Overall, despite our inability to demonstrate a statistically significant correlation, our two

variables of birth order and academic stress did ultimately trend in a positive direction. It may be

possible that the positive trend between birth order and academic stress within this small sample

could mark a potentially larger level of significance of this study and our hypothesis if replicated

using a larger sample size. At the very least, this study has demonstrated that there are high

levels of anxiety and academic stress among our sample population from Butler University
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students and perhaps college students elsewhere. Furthermore, these high composite scores assert

that there is likely stress coming from both internal and external pressures. It would be

irresponsible to ignore this result from our study and its significance to our understanding of the

academic pressures placed on college students. Although our study failed to conclude that these

high levels of stress are directly correlated to high birth rank, there is still room for further

exploration on the correlation of birth order and other personal aspects as well as other possible

sources of high academic stress. Ultimately, we acknowledge the need for further studies on the

effects of birth rank and hope that our findings, although not particularly significant, can

encourage further research on the concerning levels of academic stress experienced by

college-aged individuals.
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References

Arshad, H. et al., (2020). Birth rank as a determinant of academic achievement:results from a

European Survey of Primary School Children. European Journal of Developmental

Psychology, 17(5), 629–648.doi:10.1080/17405629.2019.1700108

Belmont, L., & Marolla, F. A. (1973). Birth order, family size, and intelligence. Science,

182(4117), 1096-1102. doi:10.1126/science.182.4117.1096

Butler University. (n.d.). Data USA.

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%20population%20at,Hawaiian%20or%20Other%20Pacific%20Islanders.

Hester, C., Osborne, G. E., & Nguyen, T. (1992). The effects of birth order and number of sibling

and parental cohabitants on academic achievement. Individual Psychology: The Journal

of Adlerian Theory, Research & Practice, 48(3), 330.

Landers, D. M., & Martens, R. (1971). The influence of birth order and situational stress on

motor performance. Psychonomic Science, 24(4), 165-167.

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Marjoribanks, K. (1981). Birth order and family learning environments. Psychological Reports,

49(3), 915-919. doi:10.2466/pr0.1981.49.3.915

Marjoribanks, K. (2001). Sibling dilution hypothesis: A regression surface analysis.

Psychological Reports, 89(1), 33-40. doi:10.2466/PR0.89.5.33-40

Miranda, L. (2021). Surface pressure [Recorded by J. Darrow]. On Encanto (original motion

picture soundtrack) [Album]. Walt Disney Records.

Miranda, L. (2021). What else can I do? [Recorded by D. Guerrero & S. Beatriz]. On Encanto

(original motion picture soundtrack) [Album]. Walt Disney Records.

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Sarason, I. G. (1969). Birth order, test anxiety, and learning. Journal of Personality, 37(1),

171-177. doi:10.1111/j.1467-6494.1969.tb01738.x

@vimiyui. (2022, January 2). Also, Luisa is so... Twitter. Retrieved from

https://twitter.com/vimiyui/status/1477745936168144898
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Tables

Table 1

Table 2
CORRELATION BETWEEN BIRTH ORDER AND ACADEMICS

23
Figures

Figure 1

Correlation between Birth Order and Academic Stress

CORRELATION BETWEEN BIRTH ORDER AND ACADEMICS

24
Appendix

Start of Block: Informed Consent

IC BUTLER UNIVERSITY CONSENT FORM

CONSENT BY SUBJECT FOR PARTICIPATION IN RESEARCH PROTOCOL

Research Project: The Correlation Between Birth Order with Academic Stress and Success

in Young Adults

Investigator: Dr. Fabiana Alceste

By clicking “Yes”, I hereby consent to participation as a subject in the above-named

research project, conducted under the direction of the above-named person at Butler

University. My consent is given of my own free choice without undue inducement and after

the following things have been explained to me. I have been informed that I will be one of

approximately 60 subjects participating in this study.

1. Nature and Duration of Procedures.

The purpose of this study is to better understand the extent to which there is a correlation

between birth order and susceptibility to academic stress based on internal and external

factors.
CORRELATION BETWEEN BIRTH ORDER AND ACADEMICS

25
If you agree to be in the study, you will do the following things:

The participants will participate in a single 3-section survey received by direct message

from the authors. This survey will be done at the participants convenience wherever and

whenever they choose to complete it. The survey should take anywhere from around 10-15

minutes to complete.

2. Potential Risks and Benefits

While in the study, the risks and discomforts are:

A risk of being uncomfortable answering the questions

A risk of possible loss of confidentiality

My responses are recorded anonymously to reduce a breach of my confidentiality. While

completing the survey, I can tell the researcher that I feel uncomfortable or do not want to

answer a particular question.

There is no direct benefit to the subject

Your participation in this project is entirely voluntary. You are free to decide not to

participate in this study or to withdraw at any time without adversely affecting your

relationship with any faculty at Butler University. Your decision will not result in any loss

of benefits to which you are otherwise entitled. If you choose to participate, you may
CORRELATION BETWEEN BIRTH ORDER AND ACADEMICS

26
withdraw at any time by notifying the person administering the research session. Upon

your request to withdraw, all information pertaining to you will be destroyed. If you choose

to participate, all information will be held in strict confidence and will have no bearing on

your academic standing or services you receive from the University. The information

obtained in the study may be published in scientific journals or presented at scientific

meetings, but your identity will be kept strictly confidential. March 16, 2022

This research is for residents of the United States. If you are not a U.S. resident, do not

complete the survey.

I have had the opportunity to ask questions concerning any and all aspects of the project

and my questions have been answered. I understand that participation is voluntary and

that I may withdraw my consent at any time without prejudice to me. Confidentiality of

records concerning my involvement in this project will be maintained in an appropriate

manner. When required by law, organizations may inspect and/or copy your research

records for quality assurance and data analysis include groups such as the study

investigator and his/her research associates, the Butler University Institutional Review

Board or its designees, and state or federal agencies, specifically the Office for Human

Research Protections (OHRP), the National Science Foundation (NSF) [for research funded

or supported by NSF], etc. They may need to access my medical and/or research records.

IC Response Do you consent to participate in this study?

o Yes (1)
CORRELATION BETWEEN BIRTH ORDER AND ACADEMICS

27
o No (2)

Skip To: End of Survey If Do you consent to participate in this study? = No

End of Block: Informed Consent

Start of Block: Instructions

Instructions On the following pages you will be asked to answer a series of open ended and

multiple-choice questions. Please answer accurately within the best of your ability as all

responses will remain anonymous. Thank you!

End of Block: Instructions

Start of Block: Demographic Questions

How old are you?

________________________________________________________________

Which race/ethnicity do you identify with? Select all that apply

▢ American Indian or Alaska Native (1)

▢ Asian (2)

▢ Black or African American (3)

▢ Hispanic or Latinx (4)

CORRELATION BETWEEN BIRTH ORDER AND ACADEMICS

28
▢ Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander (5)

▢ White (6)

▢ Other (please specify below): (7)

________________________________________________

Which gender do you identify with?

o Male (1)

o Female (2)

o Non-binary (3)

o Agender (4)

o Other (please specify below) (5)

________________________________________________

What academic year are you?

o First-year (1)

o Sophomore (2)

o Junior (3)

o Senior (4)

o Graduate student (5)

End of Block: Demographic Questions

CORRELATION BETWEEN BIRTH ORDER AND ACADEMICS

29
Start of Block: Basic Academic Questions

What is your college GPA?

________________________________________________________________

How many credit hours are you currently enrolled in?

________________________________________________________________

Given the choice, how many credit hours would you prefer to take?

________________________________________________________________

Approximately how many hours a week do you spend doing school-related work outside of

class?

________________________________________________________________

To what extent would you say your GPA reflects your intelligence?

o 1 - very low (1)

o 2 (2)

o 3 (3)

o 4 - moderate (4)
CORRELATION BETWEEN BIRTH ORDER AND ACADEMICS

30
o 5 (5)

o 6 (8)

o 7 - very high (9)

To what extent would you say your GPA reflects your academic achievement?

o 1 - very low (1)

o 2 (2)

o 3 (3)

o 4 - moderate (4)

o 5 (5)

o 6 (6)

o 7 - very high (7)

To what extent do you feel internally pressured to succeed academically?

o 1 - very low (1)

o 2 (2)

o 3 (3)

o 4 - moderate (4)

o 5 (5)

o 6 (6)
CORRELATION BETWEEN BIRTH ORDER AND ACADEMICS

31
o 7 - very high (7)

How much do you feel externally pressured by parents/guardians to succeed academically?

o 1 - very low (1)

o 2 (2)

o 3 (3)

o 4 - moderate (4)

o 5 (5)

o 6 (6)

o 7 - very high (7)

To what extent do you think grades are a measure of your self-worth?

o 1 - very low (1)

o 2 (2)

o 3 (3)

o 4 - moderate (4)

o 5 (5)

o 6 (6)

o 7 - very high (7)

CORRELATION BETWEEN BIRTH ORDER AND ACADEMICS

32
To what extent do you think your sleep is affected by stress relating to school and

academics?

o 1 - very low (1)

o 2 (2)

o 3 (3)

o 4 - moderate (4)

o 5 (5)

o 6 (6)

o 7 - very high (7)

To what extent do you compare your academic achievements to others, both peers and

siblings?

o 1 - very low (1)

o 2 (2)

o 3 (3)

o 4 - moderate (4)

o 5 (5)

o 6 (6)

o 7 - very high (7)

CORRELATION BETWEEN BIRTH ORDER AND ACADEMICS

33
To what extent do you care about achieving academic excellence?

o 1 - very low (1)

o 2 (2)

o 3 (3)

o 4 - moderate (4)

o 5 (5)

o 6 (6)

o 7 - very high (7)

Do you have a diagnosed anxiety disorder?

o Yes (1)

o No (2)

Do you suspect you have an anxiety disorder?

o Yes (1)

o No (2)

End of Block: Basic Academic Questions

Start of Block: Birth Order Questions

CORRELATION BETWEEN BIRTH ORDER AND ACADEMICS

34
How many siblings do you have?

________________________________________________________________

What is your rank in the birth order of your family? (i.e. 0 = only child, 1 = oldest, 2 =

second oldest...)

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Birth Rank ()

What is the age gap (number of months) between you and your sibling closest in age?

________________________________________________________________

What is the age gap (number of months) between you and your sibling farthest in age?

________________________________________________________________

How many non-parental individuals (i.e. grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, family

friends, etc.) actively lived in your household at some point in time while you were growing

up?

________________________________________________________________
CORRELATION BETWEEN BIRTH ORDER AND ACADEMICS

35
To what extent was there an expectation for you to contribute to the family (i.e. chores,

watching younger siblings, etc.)?

o 1 - very low (1)

o 2 (2)

o 3 (3)

o 4 - moderate (4)

o 5 (5)

o 6 (6)

o 7 - very high (7)

To what extent was the level of trust between you and your parents growing up?

o 1 - very low (1)

o 2 (2)

o 3 (3)

o 4 - moderate (4)

o 5 (5)

o 6 (6)

o 7 - very high (7)

CORRELATION BETWEEN BIRTH ORDER AND ACADEMICS

36
To what extent did you feel the pressure to "raise" your siblings? (i.e. discipline, help with

schoolwork, keep fed and hygienic, etc.)

o 1 - very low (1)

o 2 (3)

o 3 (4)

o 4 - moderate (5)

o 5 (6)

o 6 (7)

o 7 - very high (8)

To what extent did you feel it was necessary to "raise" yourself? (i.e. complete tasks

independently, regularly make own meals, rarely ask for help, etc.)

o 1 - very low (1)

o 2 (2)

o 3 (3)

o 4 - moderate (4)

o 5 (5)

o 6 (6)

o 7 - very high (7)

CORRELATION BETWEEN BIRTH ORDER AND ACADEMICS

37
I feel that I received high amounts of attention from my parents compared to other

members of my family.

o 1 - strongly disagree (1)

o 2 - disagree (2)

o 3 - somewhat disagree (3)

o 4 - neutral (4)

o 5 - somewhat agree (5)

o 6 - agree (6)

o 7 - strongly agree (7)

I feel I am highly socialized compared to other members of my family. (i.e. encouraged to

attend social events, communicate frequently with people of my own age, etc.)

o 1 - strongly disagree (1)

o 2 - disagree (2)

o 3 - somewhat disagree (3)

o 4 - neutral (4)

o 5 - somewhat agree (5)

o 6 - agree (6)

o 7 - strongly agree (7)

CORRELATION BETWEEN BIRTH ORDER AND ACADEMICS

38
I feel that I was expected to contribute less to the family duties than other members of my

family.

o 1 - strongly disagree (1)

o 2 - disagree (2)

o 3 - somewhat disagree (3)

o 4 - neutral (4)

o 5 - somewhat agree (5)

o 6 - agree (6)

o 7 - strongly agree (7)

I feel that my achievements received greater recognition than those of my other family

members.

o 1 - strongly disagree (1)

o 2 - disagree (2)

o 3 - somewhat disagree (3)

o 4 - neutral (4)

o 5 - somewhat agree (5)

o 6 - agree (6)

o 7 - strongly agree (7)

End of Block: Birth Order Questions