- The older brother is smarter than the rest of his brothers
- What are the factors that determine greater intelligence?
- How does it affect the fact that the older brother is more intelligent than the younger one?
Some older siblings suspect that their younger siblings aren't as smart. While the younger brothers strive to prove that this is not true, science seems to reach other conclusions.
But, What does it have to do with someone being born first and not second or third? How does this influence school and work life? How wide is the difference in the qualifying intelligence of one brother and another? Here we give you all the answers.
The older brother is smarter than the rest of his brothers
Science says yes, big brother is smarter. To the delight of the first-born, recent studies have shown that older siblings are more intelligent than the rest of their siblings.
At the universities of Edinburgh and Sydney, a thorough study was carried out on more than 5 thousand children. To carry it out, they performed some cognitive tests every two years from the moment of birth and up to the age of 14. The results have been published and they confirm it: the older brother is more intelligent
The reasons behind this result have multiple factors that come together in a large majority of families, which allows the statistics to be confirmed. In addition, it was verified that this does have a direct interference in school and work life.
What are the factors that determine greater intelligence?
The objective of the study carried out by the University of Edinburgh was to verify that older siblings had greater intelligence than younger siblings. But also to discover if the reasons were biological, social or cultural.
The biological aspect was discarded. This is because no study found that older children were more intelligent for genetic reasons. This confirmed that the determining factor had to do with aspects of education and upbringing.
one. Stimulation
Older siblings received more stimulation at an early age. Being their first child, first-time parents feel the enthusiasm of stimulating any of the baby's interests They also actively participate in early stimulation dynamics.
Whether they have access to exclusive classes for babies, or parents encourage stimulation in daily activities. This gives children a boost to the neural synapse that later leads to greater cognitive ability.
2. Quality time
New parents worry about giving their firstborn quality time. They know the importance of spending time with their parents for good emotional development for children, but they are also involved in ensuring that this time is fruitful.
So parents make an effort to spend enough time with their baby, a situation that becomes complicated with the arrival of a second or third sibling. Sothe older brother receives more quality time, which also intervenes in her cognitive development
3. Greater self-confidence
Older siblings reported higher self-esteem and therefore self-confidence. Most of the older siblings who participated in this study agreed with positive statements about themselves.
“I am very good at learning new things”, “I am an intelligent child”, “School is easy for me” are statements that the older siblings could say about themselves, while the younger siblings could not they felt so identified.
4. Good use of language
Language development intervenes in cognitive processes. Due to the early stimulation that older siblings receive more frequently, their language is favored and enriched.
This in turn makes learning easier for them. Most of the older siblings recorded from an early age a larger vocabulary and a higher communication capacity than their younger siblings.
5. Development of interests and capacities
Older siblings had more support to develop their interests and abilities. First-time parents focus more on providing their first child with everything that will help her to develop her abilities.
When the younger brother arrives, this decreases remarkably. Due to lack of time, budget or other factors, the support that the rest of the brothers receive is less. This influences their cognitive development.
How does it affect the fact that the older brother is more intelligent than the younger one?
This matter does not remain only in the terms of childhood. The study from the University of Edinburgh also provided data on the adult life of older and younger siblings The results showed that there is a direct relationship with better grades and better salaries.
Although in reality the difference is not abysmal in intelligence levels, other factors such as self-confidence and security provide useful tools for a more satisfying school and professional life.
However younger siblings have a notable advantage Managing emotions and social skills are more developed in younger siblings compared to those of his older brothers. In this way it seems that the situation is somewhat balanced.
So it is not strange to observe that in multiple families the same situation is repeated: older siblings get better grades, are better qualified to obtain better jobs and have more intelligence.
On the other hand, younger siblings are more sociable, they are not so afraid of risks, they are more resilient and tolerant of frustration, and they have greater ability to solve problems. All these characteristics are also of great help for adult life.