Birth order and gender: investigating its effects on agreeableness, Conscientiousness, openness, aspiration and empathy.

Abstract

This aim of this study is to investigate Adlerian birth order effects and gender on empathy and aspiration as well as certain personality elements; openness, conscientiousness and agreeableness. The study consisted of female (N = 53) male (N = 27) DBS students with a total (N = 80). A quantitative design was used through a questionnaire comprising of three scales, The Aspiration Scale (Schmuck, Kasser, & Ryan (2000), a modified Big Five index (John et al 1991) and The Toronto Empathy questionnaire (Spreng et al 2009). Demographics required age, gender and birth classification. An ANOVA found significant difference between birth groups and openness but not for aspiration, empathy, conscientiousness and agreeableness. Significant Correlations were found between agreeableness and empathy and with openness and aspiration, finally a two-way ANOVA found significant birth category and gender interaction effects with Conscientiousness and empathy, no interaction effects were found for other variables. Author Keywords: Birth order, personality, aspiration, adler, empathy, conscientiousness, openness, agreeableness.