After digging into several studies, researchers came to the following conclusion: parents generally prefer their eldest daughter.
That’s the big question: Do parents have favorite children? They assure us that no, but sometimes we still have the impression thata brother or sister receives preferential treatment. A new study has just dotted the i’s. After reviewing numerous scientific articles, researchers concluded that not only parents had quite a favorite among the siblingsbut that this one was most often the eldest daughter.
In their study recently published in Psychological Bulletinthe two scientists collected thirty articles (journals, theses, dissertations, etc.) as well as fourteen databases. The analysis of this data, bringing together 19 469 participant·e·s, “examined preferred treatment as predicted by birth ordersex, temperament and personality”they wrote, specifying that favoritism, in their article, was materialized by financial assistance and monitoring plus important.
Parents favor good children
First observation: contrary to what we hear, the little darlings of the family are not the youngest, but the elders. “The results showed that when favoritism was based on autonomy and control, parents tended to foster older siblings.” This was especially true when the first sibling was a girl.
Certain behaviors or character traits could also “help” to be the parents’ favorite. “The children conscientious and pleasant also received more favorable treatment.specified the authors.
Serious consequences for the family
This study may make you smile, but favoritism among siblings can have repercussions. “Decades of research highlight that differential treatment may have negative consequences on developmentespecially for less advantaged brothers and sisters.” They may feel bad about themselves. THE sibling relationships can be degraded, the same for the parent-child bond.
Favorite child can he too leaves. As explained in BBC Megan Gilligan, associate professor of human development and family sciences at the University of Missouri (United States), “One might expect that being the favorite child would have many benefits, but it can also cause emotional distress in adult children”with a higher risk of depression. This can also be a burden since once adulthood is reached, the favorite child may be the one most requested when aging parents need help.
-Sources :
- Parents favor daughters: A meta-analysis of gender and other predictors of parental differential treatmentJensen, A. C., & Jorgensen-Wells, M. A. Psychological Bulletin, 2025.
- Here’s which child is probably parents’ favourite, according to scienceBBC, January 21, 2025.
- Parental favoritism: the long-term effects of being a favorite childBBC Africa, August 16, 2023.
You may also be interested in:
Mothers of three daughters feel less well-being, study finds
Psycho: what is “eldest daughter syndrome”?
Pocket money: a study reveals how much parents give to their children
We knew it, but a study confirms it: grandmothers can be a great support for their grandchildren
Related News :