Wading into an age-old debate, researchers have found that firstborn children are smarter than their siblings — and the reason is not genetics, but the way their parents treat them, according to a study published today.
The study of 240,000 Norwegian men in the journal Science found the IQs of firstborns were 2 to 3 points higher than that of younger siblings. (The average IQ is 100.)
Though that may not sound like a lot, experts said even a few IQ points could make a big difference over the course of a lifetime — and set firstborns on a trajectory for success.
An informal poll of the editorial staff at Pensito Review found that Buck and I are firstborns, while Trish, the smart one, is not. However, our results may be skewed by the fact that none of us are Norwegian.
Are you implying that if George Bush wasn’t the oldest child, he would be an even WORSE President?
God forbid!
Ah ha! I knew Mom liked Susan best. But from personal experience, I would guess that only children are the smartest of all. No offense, B & J.
Hey, you haven’t met my drooling, knuckle-dragging younger sibs — I look like a freakin’ Einstein by comparison. Regarding Trish’s apparent intellectual superiority to Jon and me, I attribute that more to her gender than to her birth order.