Birth Order,Family Size,and Children's Mental Health

Abstract

This study examined the relationships of birth order and family size to psychological adjustment in native-born, white children (N = 2,991) in Grades K-8, using the Behavior Problem Checklist. Multiple regression analyses of variance yielded two significant effects for conduct problems and socialized delinquency when different levels of birth order were considered individually and only one significant finding for socialized delinquency when the various family sizes were examined separately.