Middleborns' Perceptions of Family Relationships

Abstract

Responses of 657 college students of both sexes to questions about family relationships showed significant differences between 185 middleborn children and 472 children in other birth order positions. These differences support findings of prior studies of adolescents and children, suggesting that middleborns feel less parental support than other children. A significantly higher percent of middleborn students indicated that they received no parental assistance with their college expenses. Middleborns were less likely to indicate having a close relationship with their parents, less likely to indicate frequent telephone calls home, and more likely to indicate brother or sister (rather than parent) as having difficulty adjusting to their absence.