Influence of Nominal Birth Order Positions on Academic Performance and Personality among Junior Secondary School Students in Akwanga, Nasarawa State, Nigeria

This study investigated the influence of birth order on the personality traits and
academic performance among 207 junior secondary school students in
Akwanga, Nasarawa State. Sixty-three first-borns, 50 middle-born children, 41
last-borns, and 53 only children, who shared the mean age of 12.4years (SD =
4.9), were purposively selected for this study. Students Class Average (SCA)
scores were recorded and the big-five personality traits of the students were
assessed with ten item personality inventory (TIPI). Results indicate that
participants of different birth order positions differ significantly in terms of the
big-five personality but did not differ significantly in terms of academic
performance (p = 0.56). Also, the dominant personality (dimensions) is
conscientiousness attributed to the first-born child (P = 0.003). Moreover, first-
born child and last-born child had lower agreeableness compared to only-child
(P = 0.002) and the middle-born child has higher openness to experience
compared to other birth order positions (P < 0.001). It is therefore concluded
that the different personality traits encounter among siblings is the result of
birth order position