Question

Being a major social influence in childhood, birth order dictates that the _____ child will experience a sense of dethronement.

a) Firstborn
b) Middle
c) Youngest
d) Only

Answer 1

In Alfred Adler's theory, the firstborn child experiences a sense of dethronement due to the arrival of new siblings. Adler theorized that this may drive the firstborn to become an overachiever to regain their exclusive status.

Step-by-step explanation:

The concept of birth order and its impact on personality is attributed to the psychologist Alfred Adler. According to Adler's theory, the firstborn child is likely to experience a sense of dethronement when a new sibling is born because the older child loses their exclusive position with their parents.

This shifting dynamic, from being an only child to sharing the parents' attention, can result in the older child striving to excel to regain their primacy in the family. This could manifest in the firstborn adopting traits like leadership and conscientiousness, in an attempt to please their parents or regain their former status.

In the multiple-choice question provided, the firstborn child is the one that experiences a sense of dethronement when a new sibling joins the family. Therefore, the correct answer is: a) Firstborn.