THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF FIRST BORN STUDENTS 1

Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

INTRODUCTION

Rationale of the Study

Some researchers believe that birth order is as important as gender and almost as

important as genetics. It gets back to the old nurture versus nature business. For over 35

years as a psychologist, Dr. Kevin Leman has studied birth order and the role it plays in

making the person grow up into what the person is today. The influence your family has

on a person as they grow up can reach across time and distance to touch them in profound

ways years after they think people have grown beyond all that.

Birth order can give people some important clues about their personality; their

relationships with loved ones; and how they handle solving problems.

There is a Time magazine article on famous siblings, and it is fascinating to learn

th
that Teddy Roosevelt became the United States' 26 president, while his younger

brother, Elliot, died of alcoholism at 34. The article also mentioned baseball legend Joe

DiMaggio whose two brothers, Vince and Dom, also made it to the major league but with

less stellar results. It is truly fascinating that there are numerous ways birth order can

influence who people are and how people become.

Firstborn children enter a family of adults who are proud of their every progress
THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF FIRST BORN STUDENTS 2

and frightened by every potential injury. The eldest child will probably have more in

common with other firstborns than their own brothers and sisters. Because they have had

so much control and attention from their first-time parents, they are over-responsible,

reliable, well-behaved, careful and smaller versions of their own parents. Firstborns are

said to be high achievers who seek approval, dominate and is a perfectionist. As a mini-

parent, they try to dominate their siblings.

MBTI is one of the most popular tools used in organizations for the classification

of personality types. There are 16 personality types and four dimensions, which are

Extraversion and Introversion, Sensing and Intuition, Thinking and Feeling, and Judging

and Perceiving. Everyday, individuals use all of the different pairs but they have a

preference wherein they are more comfortable with (Sanborn, Debra K., 2013). This

study would focus on the Extraversion and Introversion dimension. This pair refers to where
people focus their attention in order to get their energy – either the outer or inner world. When people talk

about "extraversion" and "introversion", it is distinguishing between the two worlds in which all of us live.

There is a world inside ourselves, and a world outside ourselves. When people are dealing with the world

outside of themselves, they are "extraverting". When they are inside their own minds, they are

"introverting". Extroverts prefer to communicate with other people by focusing on outer world of people

and things, whereas introverts choose to work independently by focusing on inner world of ideas and

emotions.

As the researcher read on, not only did the researcher see that this was the topic to

be researched on, but also that there was an abundance of birth order literature that

already existed. After reading articles on effects of birth order on onlies, first, middle, last

borns, the researcher began to see that birth order has been shown to have very specific
THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF FIRST BORN STUDENTS 3

effects on one's personality. For instance, an individual's birth order can have a great

effect on a person's drive to succeed, as well as his or her likelihood to be social.

Theoretical Background of the Study

Alfred Adler (1870–1937) developed theories of personality that focused on the need of therapists

to understand an individual within the context of social environment. According to Adler (N.D.), character

traits and behaviors derive primarily from developmental issues, including birth order.

Alfred Adler, an Austrian psychiatrist, and a contemporary of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, was

one of the first theorists to suggest that birth order influences personality. He argued that birth order can

leave an indelible impression on an individual's style of life, which is one's habitual way of dealing with the

tasks of friendship, love, and work. According to Adler, firstborns are "dethroned" when a second child

comes along, and this may have a lasting influence on them, causing them to develop a  Middle child

syndrome. Younger and only children may be pampered and spoiled, which was suggested to affect their

later personalities.

Adler believed that when a child is born impacts personality. Based on his theory, for example, the

oldest child -- prone to perfectionism and need for affirmation -- tends to become intellectual, conscientious

and dominant in social settings. Adler attributes this to the child losing the parents' undivided attention and

compensating throughout life by working to get it back. In addition, this child may be expected to set an

example and be given responsibility for younger siblings.

Scope and Limitation

The researcher is limited to conduct the study only in Bethany Christian School,

because he studies in that school, and it would take too much time if the researcher

conducted the study in other schools.

THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF FIRST BORN STUDENTS 4

The researcher only focused on one dimension among the other dimensions of Myers-

Briggs Type Indicator. It is going to take too much time if the researcher will do all four

dimensions because this will consist of 16 personalities all in all. She also conducted a
standardized survey on Junior High I – Senior High II in order to acquire accurate data. The

students in these levels were the respondents of this study, and there are 60 students in total.

The research designs used were the qualitative design and quantitative design, because both

designs were needed in order to acquire the necessary data.

THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF FIRST BORN STUDENTS 5

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This section includes ideas, generalization, methodologies, findings and conclusions of previous

experts and/or researchers that are relevant to the present study.

Related Literature

Numerous studies have been conducted in the past decade to assess beliefs about birth order,

but these beliefs have existed far longer than we think. These assumptions about birth order effects

have fueled many professional research studies to establish what the effects of birth order really are.

The purpose of this literature review is to explore previous research regarding the effects of birth order.

A wide range of research questions have been asked, but many conclusions have shown similar

findings regarding intellectual development and sociability of adults as a result of their birth orders and

childhood experiences with or without siblings. There have also been disagreements among scholars on

the true effects of birth order. The studies explored in this review establish the information already

understood about birth order and the information that still needs to be explored.

Alfred Adler (N.D.) developed theories of personality that focused on the need of therapists to

understand an individual within the context of social environment. According to Adler (N.D.),

character traits and behaviors derive primarily from developmental issues, including birth order.

Adler believed that when a child is born impacts personality. Based on his theory, for example,

the oldest child - prone to perfectionism and need for affirmation - tends to become intellectual,

conscientious and dominant in social settings. Adler attributes this to the child losing the parents'

undivided attention and compensating throughout life by working to get it back. In addition, this child
THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF FIRST BORN STUDENTS 6

may be expected to set an example and be given responsibility for younger siblings.

Alfred Adler was the first to publish a theoretical discussion of birth order effects in 1928

(Srivastava, 2011). Adler discussed how “even though children have the same parents and grow up in

nearly the same family setting, they do not have identical social environments” (Srivastava, 2011).

Beliefs about birth order have evolved greatly since 1928, as made clear by Srivastava’s (2011) account

of Adler’s profile of birth orders based on shared characteristics.

The order in which a person is born into their family plays an important role in the individual’s

development of personality, character, intelligence, and career choices (Stewart et al., 2001). The

familial atmosphere is the first group experience a child has and the child’s role in their family

influences the development of the child’s individual personality traits. In families, children learn what

is valuable and meaningful to their parents and siblings and they compete with their siblings for various

roles before they find their ideal position in the family (Stewart et al., 2001).

The idea that birth order can have life-long effects on adults is one that have frequently been

considered. There are even widely accepted stereotypes of first-borns, middle-borns, last-borns, and

only children (Nyman,2001). In 1977 Lindert wrote a paper entitled “Sibling Position and

Achievement.” Lindert (1977) examined the ways in which the sibling position of a person as a child

affects levels of schooling and occupational status later in life. By examining intra-familial dynamics

he concluded that adults who have higher achievements received more attention and spent more time

with their parents as children. Lindert claimed that the amount of time and energy that parents provide

for their children is directly related to birth order. His claim that “sharing family time and money with
THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF FIRST BORN STUDENTS 7

siblings is a drag on achievement” led to his analysis of the advantages and disadvantages for each

sibling position (Lindert, 1977). He established that first-borns spent the most time with parents,

especially when accounting for the one-on-one time the child received before any other child was born

(Lindert, 1977). He found that first- born adults attained the highest achievements and held the highest

IQs. Any child born between the first and last generally received less attention than the other children

and also received less encouragement.

Within the next few years several studies came that found higher levels of intelligence among

first-born children. Falbo (1978) examined the trends surrounding sibling tutoring and the idea of older

siblings assisting their younger siblings with school work. Falbo proposed that having younger siblings

to tutor is beneficial to intellectual development (Falbo, 1978).

Therefore, Falbo’s theory could account for the discrepancy in Lindert’s (1977) study about

only children not attaining higher levels of achievement even though they receive more attention from

parents. A second study agreed with Falbo’s conclusion that the teaching function acquired by older

siblings when younger siblings are born can increase the intelligence of earlier-born children (Zajonc et

al., 1979). Without younger siblings to tutor, only children do not have the same advantage that anyone

with younger siblings has. This also explained why Falbo (1978) found that last-born children were the

least intelligent. These birth order studies show that the sibling role a first-born child plays as a tutor is

significant in affecting the child’s later intelligence. This could lead readers to wonder what other roles

older and younger siblings take on that influence their adult traits.

The family environment for a first-born child is believed to affect the personality traits of the

child in aspects such as extraversion, maturity, and intellect. The first-born child often experiences a
THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF FIRST BORN STUDENTS 8

prominent sense of overprotection and interference from their parents. First-born children are usually

introverted and relatively mature for their age. This may be in part due to the fact that first-born

children tend to spend more time with adults, so it is natural that they would grow up faster. First-borns

are exposed to more maternal and paternal participation because there are no other children to divide

attention (Herrera, et. al., 2003). First-born children are highly motivated and often perfectionists,

which affects academic achievement. First-borns are seen as brighter than their siblings and work very

diligently for their achievements.

In 1982 Kidwell examined how birth order had affected self-esteem. She defined a person with

high self-esteem as someone who “realistically respects himself, considers himself worthy, and expects

to grow and improve” (Kidwell, 1982). On the other end of the spectrum a person with low self-esteem

experiences “self-rejections, self-dissatisfaction and disapproval, and a desire to change oneself

(Kidwell, 1982). Kidwell found that birth order influences self-esteem because it affects how unique

and valued a child feels. Kidwell’s research showed patterns that first-born children and only-born

children have high levels of self-esteem. She attributed this to the high level of uniqueness the children

feel. This uniqueness could be an internal perception or the effect of specialized treatment from parents

(Kidwell, 1982). Kidwell found that middle children believe their parents are less supportive and they

experience a “lack of uniqueness” (Kidwell, 1982). She found that middle-borns generally have

lower self-esteem than first-borns and only-borns. She also found that self-esteem can be enhanced in a

middle child when the middle child has a unique gender status (Kidwell, 1982).

Unlike previous researchers, Kidwell addressed how the combination of gender and birth order

creates the childhood experience that can later affect adult experiences. However, Kidwell’s focus was

on middle children and therefore, only examined how the gender of middle-borns impacted selfesteem.
THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF FIRST BORN STUDENTS 9

There is still a need for an exploration of how the gender role of all sibling positions affects adult traits.

Family size also changes the family structure in each individual family due to issues of

competition and power struggle. For example, large family size may be associated with family

competition for personal attention, and children may experience difficulty in meeting psychological

need for dependence and privacy, they may also experience low one-to-one affectional interactions

with parents. Children that are socialized into small families are associated toward interpersonal and

emotional interaction. However children in larger families are associated with authoritarian control

(Tashakkori, Thompson, & Yousefi, 1990). Kidwell (1981,1982), concluded that the larger the number

of siblings, the greater the increase in perceptions of paternal stringency and the greater the decrease

in perceptions of parental reasonableness and supportiveness. Interaction with others often takes on the

basis of one’s own assumptions or personal beliefs about the world. These assumptions are often

influenced by the birth order of the individual because the family provides the individual with their first

assumptions of the world (Croacke & Olson).

Socially, first born children are also considerably less arguable and open to new experiences

than later born children. The resulting adult personality for these children are very conservative and

stiff (Paulhus et al, 1999). First born children are also considered to be shyer and more likely to

withdraw from peers, perhaps because their interactions at home have been mainly with adults and peer

interaction is less familiar to them. However, this familial position does tend to be more assertive than

younger siblings which can be a positive attribute that will help them in many social situations,

especially as they grow older (Snow et al., 1981).

THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF FIRST BORN STUDENTS 10

Related Studies

The first study was conducted by Herrera et al. (2003), entitled, “Beliefs About Birth Rank and their Reflection in

Reality”. According to Herrera et al., beliefs about birth rank reflect what the society regards as social reality,

and they may also influence that reality. The family environment for a first-born child is believed to

affect the child’s personality traits in aspects such as extraversion, maturity, and intellect. The first-

born child often experiences a prominent sense of overprotection and interference from their parents.

First-born children are usually introverted and relatively mature for their age. This may be in part due

to the fact that first-born children tend to spend more time with adults, so it is natural that they would

grow up faster. First-borns are exposed to more maternal and paternal participation because there are

no other children to divide attention (Herrera, et. al., 2003). First-born children are highly motivated

and often perfectionists, which affects academic achievement. First-borns are seen as brighter than their

siblings and work very diligently for their achievements.

The second study was done by Beck et al. (2006), entitled, “Birth-order Effects on Facets of

Extraversion”. Extraversion is one facet of personality that can be indicative of success in both

professional and personal realms. According to Beck, Burret, & Vosper (2006), extraversion is

comprised of two components: sociability and dominance. Extroverted people with a high level of

sociability will likely be surrounded by people in their personal lives and be considered socially

successful. Those who are extroverted with a high level of dominance are able to easily advocate for

themselves and pursue their goals without fear of obstacles. Extraversion is frequently measured among

people of all birth orders, but Beck et al. (2006), distinguished between the facets of extraversion on

sibling positions in their birth order study. The study investigated the reasons for inconsistent findings

concerning birth-order effects and extraversion. In a within-family design, 96 undergraduate and

graduate students rated themselves and their siblings on a 12-item extraversion scale taken from the
THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF FIRST BORN STUDENTS 11

NEO Five-Factor Inventory. One-sample t-tests revealed, as predicted, that first-borns have the highest

level of dominance and last-borns have the highest levels of sociability. This study supports that

personality traits may be linked to birth order and how these traits directly affect the professional and

personal experiences an adult may have. Beck et al., thoroughly explore the facets of extraversion, but

do not explore any other personality characteristic nor do they explore how gender may affect the

facets of extraversion.

The third study was conducted by Szobiova (2008), entitled “Birth Order, Sibling

Constellation, Creativity and Personality Dimensions of Adolescent”. It was a study where birth order

and gender were both examined in their influence on personality dimensions of adolescents. Szobiova

(2008) used the Big Five personality characteristics: openness to experience, conscientiousness,

extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. The Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT) and the

Urban Creative Thinking Test (TSD-Z) were applied for creativity identification. To measure

personality dimensions, the NEO Five-Factor Inventory was applied to a sample of 158 adolescents -

University students of humanities and artistic-technical departments (mean age 19.91 years). By using

a personality test, Szobiova was able to chart the prominent personality traits and characteristics of the

various birth orders. She found that first-borns scored high in neuroticism and conscientiousness. She

attributed the notable scores of firstborns to the high levels of responsibility that first-borns experience

and the pressure of perfectionism (Szobiova, 2008).

The fourth study was conducted by Blake (1991), entitled “Number of Siblings and

Personality” According to Blake, the sociability of an adult is widely recognized as a trait that starts as

a child. Blake explores how the size of a family affects how social skills are learned Blake defines

sociability as the “desire to draw near, cooperate, and be with a friend. The actions associated with this
THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF FIRST BORN STUDENTS 12

motive are meeting people, making acquaintances, showing good will, doing things to please others,

and avoiding wounding others” (Blake, 1991). Blake’s paper focuses on the ways in which large

families provide practice in learning these social skills. Growing up with more siblings forces children

to interact with similarly-aged peers and requires the child to adapt to sharing both tangible and

intangible belongings such as toys or affection from parents. Having more siblings also requires

children to take the needs and news of siblings into account (Blake, 1991). Blake concludes that the

social skills built from large families create more sociable adults. She does not discuss if individual

intra-familial sociability is affected by birth order or if the presence of more than one gender in a

family can affect sociability.

The fifth study done by Paulhus et al. (1999), entitled “Birth Order Effects on Personality and

Achievement Within Families”. They investigated birth order effects on personality and achievement in

four studies with 1,022 families including both student and adult samples. Control over a wide range of

variables was effected by collecting within-family data: Participants compared their siblings and

themselves on a variety of personality and achievement dimensions. Across four diverse data sets, first-

borns were nominated as most achieving and most conscientious. Socially, first born children are also

considerably less arguable and open to new experiences than later born children. The resulting adult

personality for these children are very conservative and stiff (Paulhus et al, 1999). First born children

are also considered to be shyer and more likely to withdraw from peers, perhaps because their

interactions at home have been mainly with adults and peer interaction is less familiar to the. Overall,

the results support predictions from Sulloway's niche model of personality development, as well as

Zajonc's confluence model of intellectual achievement.

Clearly, there are many areas of both agreement and disagreement throughout the literature on
THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF FIRST BORN STUDENTS 13

birth order effects. While every researcher examined so far has concluded there are measurable effects

of birth order ranging across academic, social, professional, and personal realms, there have also been

studies that have concluded that no such effects exist. Dunkel, Harbke, & Papini (2009) studied the

effects of birth order on personality and identity and found that birth order was of little importance in

predicting individual differences. Using the Big Five Personality Traits and four different identity

styles characterized by the personal, social, and psychological resources used to explore and commit to

an identity, Dunkel et al., concluded that there was no indication of any birth order patterns. This study

contradicts everything that has already been reviewed, and it raises important questions about who and

what has been studied in the past. Based on the research that has already been conducted and the

discrepancies and unexamined relationships and populations, it is clear that further research must be

conducted to understand the effects of birth order. A gender analysis should be included in future birth

order studies, and populations should include people who are trying to accomplish a similar goal if

researchers are to study achievements and success rates of the different birth orders.
THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF FIRST BORN STUDENTS 14

THE PROBLEM

Statement of the Problem

The intent of this study is to determine the dominant personality type, specifically Extroversion

and Introvertion, of the first-born students of Bethany Christian School.

Specifically, this study aims to answer the following questions:

1. What is the profile of the students according to year and gender?

2. How many of the students in Bethany Christian School are first borns?

3. Do the first born children have a significant personality type compared to the general

population? If it exists, then are first borns more extroverted or introverted?

Research Hypothesis

H0: There is a significant difference between the extrovert and introvert personality type of first borns and non-first

borns and that first borns are more likely to be introverted.

Significance of the Study

This study can be beneficial to four areas in the society: the students, parents, teachers, and

future researchers.

Students. With this study, the students would be able to benefit by gaining more information

regarding the dominant personality type of first borns So for example, extroverts prefer to communicate with
other people by focusing on outer world of people and things, whereas introverts choose to work independently by focusing

on inner world of ideas and emotions. The students would be able to understand their peers regarding their

personality type.

Parents. This study will help parents to understand their children based on their dominant personality type
THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF FIRST BORN STUDENTS 15

by being more knowledgeable about the birth order theory and how it affects a person's personality. Additionally,

they would be more effective in helping their child with what they need.

Teachers. The teachers would greatly benefit from this study because they would be made

aware on why their students act a certain way, specifically first borns, depending on their dominant

personality type. They can devise ways and strategies that would best work for both extroverted and

introverted students that could help improve their academic performance.

Future researchers. If future researchers ever decide to make a study concerning first borns and personality

types, this study will be able to serve as a basis or a reference for their own study. They may also be able to further

the study and broaden the range of respondents.

THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF FIRST BORN STUDENTS 16

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The aim of this study was to determine the dominant personality type of the first-born students

of Bethany Christian School. This study utilized both quantitative and qualitative research design.

Quantitative research design because the study required counting the frequency counts of the data,

while this study also used qualitative research design since it is a descriptive study which requires

observation. Using Adler's (n.d.) theory of birth order, the data gathered were categorized, analyzed

and interpreted.

Research Environment

The study was conducted in Cebu City, Philippines. Data gathering was specifically conducted

in Bethany Christian School located in Buena Hills, Guadalupe. This school was chosen out of

convenience and accessibility. The school is a non-stock and non-profit church-related institution under the
Bethany Church Foundation Inc. The school was established in 1984 through the joint effort of Bethany Church

Foundation Inc. Church Council and co-founder Madam Siokiau L. Holaysan, and a ten member Board of Trustees.

Since it's establishment, the school had kept up with the demands and built four buildings including facilities for the

benefit of the students. Currently, the annex building is located on the right side of the road as it ascends through the

school gates. Inside the building, there are four floors with three classrooms on each level, a volleyball court, an

audio-visual room that occupies a whole floor and three basement levels for four classrooms, two laboratories and a

recreational area. There is a building, called new building, connected to the annex building where there are three

floors with four classrooms on each level, one floor for the playgrounds and another rooftop volleyball court.

Located across the new building is the auditorium where students participate in various activities. The auditorium

also has a rooftop basketball court. The new building is connected to the old building which is the first building

established in Bethany Christian School. The old building comprises three floors with three classrooms on each floor,

one floor for the offices and faculty, and a cafeteria in the basement level. There is a church located across the old

building. It is where students hold their chapel hour.

Research Respondent
THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF FIRST BORN STUDENTS 17

Gender Percentage
Males 48%
Females 52%
The research respondents of this study are taken from the Junior High I, II, III, IV and Senior High I and II

students of Accounting Business Management (ABM) strand and Science Technology Engineering Mathematics

(STEM) strand of Bethany Christian School. There will be a total of 60 respondents for this research. The age range

of this study is 12-18 years old. The researcher would hand out survey questions for them to answer and would see

what their dominant personality trait is. The researcher chose these respondents because of convenience and because

it reached the minimum number of respondents needed for the study.

Research Instruments and Tools

The researcher gave survey questions to be answered by the respondents. A personality test from the

Internet was utilized to get an accurate answer of the respondents personality type. The test is called the Myers-

Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®). Questions concerning the extroversion and introversion dimension were taken, and there

were ten questions in total.

The researcher made use of the software Open Office 3.4 Text Document and Spreadsheet to encode all the

data for the study.

Research Procedures

Gathering of Data

The researcher found a personality test in the Internet, called the Myers-Briggs Type

Indicator® (MBTI®), which was used to obtain the needed information regarding the personality traits of

the respondents. The researcher then gave the tests to the 60 respondents that were gathered through

stratified sampling.

Treatment of Data
THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF FIRST BORN STUDENTS 18

After collecting the answered tests of the respondents. The researcher would then analyze and

interpret the data. In processing the data, the researcher would tally the number of Extroverted and

Introverted first born students to be able to count the frequency. The result of which will then

determine the dominant personality type of the students.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

Birth Order – Birth order refers to the order of birth of the Bethany Christian School students.

Extrovert - Extroverts prefer to communicate with other people by focusing on outer world of people and things. Like for

example, people who enjoy being around their classmates, close friends and other people.

Introvert - Introverts choose to work independently by focusing on inner world of ideas and emotions. Like for example,

people who would rather spend time alone, rather than socialize.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) - This was the survey questionnaire answered by the respondents to know if they
THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF FIRST BORN STUDENTS 19

are introverted or extroverted.

Chapter 2

PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

This chapter presents, analyzes, and interprets the dominant personality type of the first born children of Bethany

Christian School. The flow of the discussion is the following: 1.) the demographics of the respondents, specifically, a) their

age, and; b) their gender; 2.) the number of first born students in Bethany Christian School, and; 3.) the personality type of

the first born students.

DEMOGRAPHICS OF STUDENTS ACCORDING TO THEIR AGE

There were 60 respondents of this study who were from the entire Junior High and Senior High students of
THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF FIRST BORN STUDENTS 20

Bethany Christian School. Apparently, they were in different year levels; thus, their ages were also different..

Figure 1 below presents the age of the respondents.

Figure 1
Age of the Respondents

12
7% 7%
13
13%
20% 14

15
13%
16
20%
17
20%
18

Figure 1 in the previous page revealed that out of 60 respondents, 20% were 13 years old, 20% were 14 years

old, 20% were 15 years old, 13% were 16 years old, 13% were 17 years old, 7% were 12 years old and 7% were 18

years old. This is because majority of the respondents are from Junior High III who are 31 in their class and are

currently 14-15 years old.

Lacks analysis and interpretation.

DEMOGRAPHICS OF STUDENTS ACCORDING TO THEIR GENDER

There were 60 respondents of this study who were from the entire Junior High and Senior High students of

Bethany Christian School. This study surveyed both genders in order to get better results.

Figure 2 below presents the gender of the respondents.

Figure 2
Gender of Respondents
THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF FIRST BORN STUDENTS 21

Male
48%
52% Female

Figure 2 in the orevious page revealed that out of 60 respondents, 48% of them were males while 52% of

them were females. They are about equal but the number of females were slightly higher.

THE NUMBER OF FIRST BORN STUDENTS IN BETHANY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL

There were 60 respondents of this study who were from the entire Junior High and Senior High students of

Bethany Christian School.

Figure 3 below presents the percentage of first borns out of the respondents.

Figure 3
Birth Order of the Respondents
THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF FIRST BORN STUDENTS 22

38%

First Borns
Non First Borns

62%

Figure 3 graphically illustrated birth order of the respondents. Out of the 60 respondents, only

38% of them were first borns and 62% of them were non-first borns. With this data, the number of first

born students in Bethany Christian School was tested by the researcher through population proportion.

The worst case proportion obtained was 0.5. There were also a total of 23 respondents in the sample.

Inputting these values into the population proportion formula, which will be presented below, the

obeserved proportion was 0.383. With a confidence interval of 90%, the tabulated z-value was 4495.

This revealed that the true proportion of first born students in Bethany Christian School is between

27.74% and 48.92%.

THE PERSONALITY TYPE OF THE FIRST BORN STUDENTS

There were 60 respondents of this study who were from the entire Junior High and Senior High students of

Bethany Christian School. The researcher had first borns as the sample and the population consisted of both first

borns and non first borns.

Figure 4 below presents the mean of the respondents.

Figure 4
Mean of the Respondents
THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF FIRST BORN STUDENTS 23

Mean of the Respondents

10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
First Borns (Sample) Population

As reflected in the previous page, the respondents that are first borns had a mean of 4.3 which is slightly lower than

the mean score of the population. In relation to the mean scores obtained, it may be constructed that

In particular, Table 1 and 2 in the next page presents the personality type, frequency, mean of the scores, and

standard deviation of the population and sample.

Table 1
Personality Type of the First Born Respondents (sample)
Personality Type Frequency
10 0
9 1
8 1
7 1
6 4
THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF FIRST BORN STUDENTS 24

5 5
4 4
3 2
2 1
1 2
0 2
n= 23

Sample Mean= 4.30

Sample standard deviation= 2.38

Table 2 Personality Type of the Population

Personality Type Frequency

10 0
9 4
8 4
7 3
6 8
5 13
4 9
3 9
2 3
1 3
0 4
n= 60

Population Mean= 4.57

Population standard deviation= 2.36

With a sample mean of 4.30, a population mean of 4.57, a sample standard deviation of 2.38,

and a total of 23 respondents in the sample, this gave us a t-value of 0.530. Using a 90% confidence

interval, the tabulated t-value was 1.717. This was more than the t observed and was inside the

boundaries of the tabulated t-value. Thus, the null hypothesis was accepted and therefore, birth order

has no significance on the extroversion and introversion of first born students.

THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF FIRST BORN STUDENTS 25

Chapter 3

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Summary of Findings

It was the purpose of this study to determine the dominant personality type of the first born
THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF FIRST BORN STUDENTS 26

students of Bethany Christian School. There we re 60 respondents who answered the survey

questionnaires given to them. These survey questionnaires were collected by the current researcher

herself. Both quantitative and qualitative research method were used to treat the data.

In answer to the sub-problems (1) on the number of first born students in Bethany Christian

School and (2) significance of personality type compared to the general population and if it exists, the

personality type of first borns.

The number of first born students in Bethany Christian School. Using the population proportion

formula and with the confidence interval of 90%, the results showed that there are 23 first borns out of

the 60 respondents. With this data, the number of first born students in Bethany Christian School can

be determined.

The significance of the personality type compared to the general population and the dominant

personality type of first borns. The first borns yielded results of being more introverted. This was

revealed by the data gathered which established that when a person is a first born in birth order they are

more likely to be introverted, the students got a mean score of 4.30. However, when the personality

type of the population that is, the first borns and the non first borns, the students got a higher mean

score of 4.57. This means that there is no significance between extrovert and introvert personality type of first borns
and non-first borns. First borns are more introverted, but it is statistically negligible.

Conclusions

1. First borns are more introverted than extroverted

Based on the data gathered, first born students are more introverted in personality. This

is explained by the study of Herrera et al. (2003) which states first-born children are usually

introverted and relatively mature for their age. This may be in part due to the fact that first-born
THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF FIRST BORN STUDENTS 27

children tend to spend more time with adults, so it is natural that they would grow up faster.

2. There is no significance between extrovert and introvert personality type of first borns and non-first borns

Though it was determined that first borns are more introverted, it is statistically negligible. This is

supported by the study of Dunkel et al. (2009) which studied the effects of birth order on personality and identity.

They found that birth order was of little importance in predicting individual differences.

Recommendations

Based on the findings and conclusions, these are the empirical recommendations of this study:

1. Future researchers should research on another personality characteristic. They can further the

study by focusing on another dimension of the MBTI such as Sensing and Intuition, Thinking

and Feeling, and Judging and Perceiving.

2. Future researchers should explore how gender may affect the personality type of first borns.

Gender could be another factor to consider to determine the personality type of a first born.

3. Future researchers should have a bigger population as respondents to show the significance of

birth order on the personality type of a person.

4. Future researchers should consider the size of the family when determining the personality type

of a person.

5. Future researchers should discuss if individual intra-familial sociability is affected by birth

order or if the presence of more than one gender in a family can affect sociability.
THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF FIRST BORN STUDENTS 28

REFERENCES

Beck, E., Burnet, K. L., & Vosper, J. (2006). Birth-order effects on facets of extraversion.
Personality and Individual Differences, 40 (5), 953-959.

Dunkel, C., Harbke, C., & Papini, D. (2009). Direct and indirect effects of birth order on personality
and identity: Support for the null hypothesis. The Journal of Genetic Psychology, 170 (2),
159.
THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF FIRST BORN STUDENTS 29

Ernst, C.,& Angst, J. (1983). Birth order: Its influence on personality . Berlin and New York:
Springer-Verlag.

Herrera, N., Zajonc, R., Wieszorkowska, G. & Cichomski, B. (2003). Beliefs about birth rank
and their reflection in reality. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85 (1), 142- 150.

Nyman, L. (1995). The identification of birth order personality attributes. The Journal of
Psychology, 129(1), 51.

Paulhus, D., Trapnell, P., & Chen, D. (1999). Birth order effects on personality and
achievement within families. American Psychological Society, 10 (6), 482-488.

Szobiová, E. (2008). Birth order, sibling constellation, creativity and personality dimensions of
adolescents. Studia Psychologia, 50 (4), 371.

Zajonc, R. B., Markus, H., & Markus, G. B. (1979). The birth order puzzle. Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology, 37 (8), 1325-1341.
THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF THE FIRST BORN STUDENTS OF BCS 30

Appendix A-1

TRANSMITTAL LETTER TO BETHANY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS

The current researcher wrote a letter to the school consultant, Dr. Aurora Aquino, and program

and academic coordinator, Teacher Jocelyn Nepomuceno, asking permission to conduct research in

their institution, the Bethany Christian School. This is to comply with ethical standards in conducting

research.
THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF THE FIRST BORN STUDENTS OF BCS 31
THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF THE FIRST BORN STUDENTS OF BCS 32

Appendix A-2

TRANSMITTAL LETTERS TO THE CORRESPONDING ADVISERS OF THE RESPONDENTS

The current researcher wrote a letter to the advisers of Junior High I- Patience, Mdm. Aurora

Joaquino; Junior High I- Perseverance, T. Reza Lapus; Junior High II- Compassion, T. Macua Camaso;

Junior High III- Fairness, T. Caridad Lapasaran; Junior High IV- Humility, T. Mae Raden; Junior High

IV- Temperance, T. Joshua Lopez; Senior High I- Self-control, T. Neil Escalante; and Senior High II-

Godliness, T. Maria Lourdes Anne Lee, asking for their permission to conduct the study with their

advisory class students as the respondents.

THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF THE FIRST BORN STUDENTS OF BCS 33
THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF THE FIRST BORN STUDENTS OF BCS 34
THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF THE FIRST BORN STUDENTS OF BCS 35
THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF THE FIRST BORN STUDENTS OF BCS 36
THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF THE FIRST BORN STUDENTS OF BCS 37
THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF THE FIRST BORN STUDENTS OF BCS 38
THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF THE FIRST BORN STUDENTS OF BCS 39
THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF THE FIRST BORN STUDENTS OF BCS 40

APPENDIX B

SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE

After the respondents read the self-made article, they were given a survey questionnaire which

contained questions about the article they read. A sample of the questionnaire distributed to the

respondents will be shown on the next page.

THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF THE FIRST BORN STUDENTS OF BCS 41

Dear respondent,

I am a Senior High II student of Bethany Christian School. I am conducting a study on “The

Dominant Personality Type of the First Born Students of Bethany Christian School” as partial
fulfillment of my course requirement for Research 2. To gather data, my research requires the answers
of the following questions to obtain the most accurate results. Rest assured that the data you will
provide will be dealt with utmost confidentiality. Thank you for your time and cooperation.
The Researcher,
Precious Anne Domingo

Name:____________________ Year and Section:________________ Age:___ Gender:___

Encircle your answer.

Guidelines: There are no right answers to any of these questions. Answer the questions quickly, do not
over-analyze them. Answer the questions as “the way you are”, not “the way you’d like to be seen by
others”

1. At a party do you: with others:

a. Interact with many, including strangers a. stimulate and energize you
b. Interact with a few, known to you b. tax your reserves

2. At parties do you: 7. Do you prefer:

a. Stay late, with increasing energy a. many friends with brief contact
b. Leave early with decreased energy b. a few friends with more lengthy contact

3. In your social groups do you: 8. Do you:

a. Keep abreast of other’s happenings a. speak easily and at length with strangers
b. Get behind on the news b. find little to say to strangers

4. In phoning do you: 9. When the phone rings do you:

a. Rarely question that it will all be said a. hasten to get to it first
b. Rehearse what you’ll say b. hope someone else will answer

5. In company do you: 10. Are you more inclined to be:

a. initiate conversation a. easy to approach
b. wait to be approached b. somewhat reserved
6. Does new and non-routine interaction
THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF THE FIRST BORN STUDENTS OF BCS 42

APPENDIX C-1

COLLECTION OF DATA FOR THE PERSONALITY OF FIRST BORNS

The research hypothesis was tested by the researcher through t-testing. After gathering the data,

the sample mean obtained was 4.30, the population mean was 4.57, and the sample standard deviation

was 2.38. There were also a total of 23 respondents in the sample. Inputting these values into the t

formula, which will be presented below, the t observed was 0.530. With a confidence interval of 90%,

the tabulated t-value was 1.717. This revealed that the absolute value of the t observed did not exceed

the critical value. Thus, the null hypothesis was accepted.

-1.717
-1.717 1.717
1.717
4.304 -4.567
2.382

23
23
t = 0.53 0

APPENDIX C-2
THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF THE FIRST BORN STUDENTS OF BCS 43

COLLECTION OF DATA FOR THE NUMBER OF FIRST BORNS IN BETHANY CHRISTIAN

SCHOOL

The number of first born students in Bethany Christian School was tested by the researcher

through population proportion. After gathering the data, the worst case proportion obtained was 0.5.

There were also a total of 23 respondents in the sample. Inputting these values into the population

proportion formula, which will be presented below, the obeserved proportion was 0.383. With a

confidence interval of 90%, the tabulated z-value was 4495. This revealed that the true proportion of

first born students in Bethany Christian School is between 27.74% and 48.92%.

0.5 (1-0.5)
0.383+1.64 0.5 (1-0.5) <p< 0.383-1.64

23
23

38.33% - 10.59% <p< 38.33% +10.59%

27.74% <p< 48.92%

CURRICULUM VITAE

Personal Data
THE DOMINANT PERSONALITY TYPE OF THE FIRST BORN STUDENTS OF BCS 44

Name: Precious Anne V. Domingo

Nickname: Presh

Address: 2B Cielo Apartments, Green Valley Subdivision, Capitol Site, Cebu City

Date of Birth: February 3, 1999

Contact Number: 09088631428

Educational Background

Pre-school: Bethany Christian School

Elementary: Bethany Christian School

Junior High School: Bethany Christian School