Big sisters are the most ambitious and are the highest achievers, study finds
Is your big sister the go-getter of the family? Did she used to help you with your homework growing up? Did she have high hopes for her career?
According to one study, the oldest children are the most ambitious – especially girls.
Is this true in your family?
Big sisters are the most ambitious ones in the family
Researchers at the University of Essex found that firstborn children are more likely to achieve higher qualifications and this will make most likely make them ambitious, especially if they are girls.
Experts found that firstborn children were seven percent more likely to stay on in education than other siblings and girls were 13 percent more ambitious than boys.
Meanwhile, 16 percent more firstborn children are more likely to attend further education than later-born siblings.
What’s more, a wider gap between siblings increases the chances of kids achieving higher levels of qualifications.
Researcher Feifei Bu said: “Educational disparities exist not only between families but also within families.
“It is interesting that we observe a distinct firstborn advantage in education even though parents in modern society are more likely to be egalitarian in treating their children.”
Having a sister makes you a better, kinder, more confident person
Another study by Brigham Young University found that sisters gave siblings better mental health.
395 families with more than one child, who were at least between the ages of 10 and 14, were examined as part of the study, which was published in the Journal of Family Psychology.
Researchers looked into the dynamics between each family then followed up a year later. They found that having a sister, older or younger, helps you from feeling lonely, self-conscious, afraid, unloved and guilty.
“What we know suggests that sisters play a role in promoting positive mental health, and later in life, they often do more to keep families in contact with one another after the parents pass,” says Alex Jensen, assistant professor in the School of Family Life at Brigham Young University.
“They help you develop social skills, like communication, compromise, and negotiation. Even sibling conflict, if it is minor, can promote healthy development.”
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