Birth order and personality: An MMPI-A study of adolescents from post-Soviet Russian

This study examines the potential effects of birth order status on the development of personality traits through the lens of cross-cultural generalization. Sulloway's (1996) niche model of personality development identifies personality traits associated with birth order status; the differentiation of types of culture, including individualist versus collectivist, provides an alternative approach to the study of Sulloway's niche model. This is a partial replication of a study conducted by Dr. Seda Gragossian (2010) in Central America. This dissertation analysis uses data from a post-Soviet Russian adolescent population gathered with the Russian translation of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory for Adolescents (MMPI-A; Williams & Butcher, 2011) along with a self-report demographic questionnaire. The characterization of post-Soviet Russia as a culture in social and economic distress is an additional factor in the determination of potential influences on personality development. Findings included firstborns showing similar personality traits found in other research studies using Sulloway's niche model of personality development.