A Study on Birth Order and Sense of Overall Responsibility in Undergraduate Students of Lahore, Pakistan

Abstract

Birth order has been viewed as an important variable in personality studies. Previous empirical research findings have revealed mixed results when investigating the association between different birth orders and personality traits, such as the sense of personal and social responsibility. The present research study examined the relationship between birth orders and a sense of overall responsibility, where overall responsibility has two components: personal and social responsibility. It was hypothesized that there is a statistically significant difference in the sense of personal and social responsibility between different birth orders. The sampling population consisted of 274 participants enrolled in an undergraduate program in Lahore, and the sampling technique used was non-probability convenience sampling. The method for this cross-sectional quantitative study employed the Overall Responsibility Scale (ORS), which includes subscales: the Personal Responsibility Scale (PRS) and the Social Responsibility Survey (SRS). For data analysis, one-way ANOVA (analysis of variance) was conducted on both scales against birth order groups, including first, middle, and last, using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The results revealed that there was no statistically significant difference in PRS (Personal Responsibility Scale) scores for the three groups (first, middle, last): F (2, 257) = 0.380, p =.684. Similarly, there was no statistically significant difference in SRS (Social Responsibility Scale) scores for the three groups: F (2, 258) = 1.084, p =.340. Furthermore, ANCOVA used gender and age as covariates, revealing no significant difference among the three groups regarding overall responsibility.