Older siblings are smarter

Eldest siblings are, on average, 2.3 IQ points more intelligent than their younger brothers and sisters, says a study of Norweigan kids. And it's not necessarily being born first that makes the difference, it's being raised as the eldest child.

            Petter Kristensen, from the University of Oslo, and Tor Bjerkedal from the Norwegian Armed Forces Medical Services in Oslo looked at data gathered from 241,310 Norwegian kids, all aged 18 or 19 years old at the time of intelligence testing.

            It has been proposed for some time that, on average across a population, first-borns are more intelligent than their younger siblings. There are more first-born sons in prominent positions than might be expected, for example. And some studies have shown a link between birth order and intelligence: the later born, the less smart the child.

            But the reasons behind this trend, and even whether it's real, have been hotly debated. Families with low-intelligence children tend to be large, which may leave little time for helping with homework; so, the observation that sixth-born children aren't very smart, for example, could just be a side effect of this.

            The fact that it's down to social upbringing rather than biological birth order leads Kristensen to think it's because of factors such as parental attention to older siblings, or time that the elders spend tutoring younger sisters and brothers. 

            The mean IQ of first-born kids was just over 103, second-borns just over 100, and third-borns about 99, they found. But if a child's elder sibling had died, leaving him or her to be raised as first-born, their IQ lept up to match the top scores of 103.

            The work doesn't necessarily show that younger siblings suffer from their lower IQ, Kristensen adds. "There is considerable evidence that first-borns and later-borns are good at different things," he says, citing Charles Darwin, who was described as having “enlarged curiosity”. "If offered the choice of having 2.3 more IQ points or Darwin's attribute of 'enlarged curiosity', I would unhesitatingly prefer the latter," says Kristensen.

Question 1 (2 points) Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.

a. You have to be born first to have a higher IQ than your siblings.

b. There has never been any controversy on this topic before.

c. The larger the family is, the more chances to have less intelligent children they have.

d. The study does not prove that older siblings are smarter.

Question 2 (2 points) Answer the following questions in your own words.

a. What has the study in Norway found out?

b. What circumstances, others than birth order, influence in the IQ difference among siblings?

Question 3 (1.5 points) Find words or phrases in the text that correspond in meaning to the words and definitions given.

a. to collect (par.2)                    b. leading (par.3)                                     c. tendency (par.4)

d. education (par.5)                  e. proof (par.7)

Question 4 (1.5 points) Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.

a. It has been proposed that first-borns are more intelligent.

                First-born...

b. The reasons behind this trend have been hotly debated.

                Scientists...

c. Elder siblings are smarter because they spend time tutoring younger brothers ans sisters.

                If elder siblings...

Question 5 (3 points) Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:

Do you think large families have more advantages or disadvantages?