Socializing the Socializing the IndividualIndividual

Influence of Birth Order

Characteristics of 1Characteristics of 1st st Borns:Borns: Perfectionistic Reliable Conscientious Well organized Goal-oriented Achiever

Classic tendency of first-born is leadership. Fifty-two percent of United States presidents werefirst-borns.

Only ChildOnly Child

“Super” first-born Many of same

characteristics as the 1st born

Characteristics of the Characteristics of the Middle Child:Middle Child:

Flexible Diplomatic Generous Social Competitive Risk-taker/ rebellious

Last Borns or the "Babies" Outgoing charmers Personable manipulators Affectionate Temperamental Spoiled Impatient

Effects of IsolationEffects of Isolation

on Personality Development

Case Studies of Children in Isolation

Harlow’s MonkeysWill the monkeys

prefer a “wire mother” or a comforting mother?

Spitz’s study Studied infants in an

orphanage Infants were not nurtured,

cuddled, or held All biological needs were met What happened to these

children?

Spitz’s study After 1 year scores on

developmental tests dropped on average from 124 to 72

After 2 years 15 had died, 9 had been removed from the institution, the remaining were severely mentally retarded

Effects of Isolation Socioemotional problems Cognitive problems Lack of biological growth &

poor health (psychosocial dwarfism)

Deficiency in such skills as: Speaking, walking, emotional expression

Examples of Isolation Anna – no human contact,

barely kept alive, found at age 6, died at age 10 with the ability of a toddler

Isabelle – kept isolated with her mother: at age 6 could only crawl and make grunting sounds – after 2 years reached the level of her peers

Genie – Isolated from infant until 13

yrs No interaction Had only a potty chair and a

cage in the room with her Found at age 13 with the skills

of a one-year old never progressed past the

ability of a 4 year old