objective: More than three-quarters of children in Germany grow up with at least one sibling. There is a consensus in research that siblings play an important role in competence development and that interactions between siblings contribute towards developing social skills. Social competence is a key qualification in interpersonal interaction and plays a significant role in everyday life. However, the effects of sibling relationship characteristics on social competence have not yet been fully understood. This study thus aimed to investigate the effects of birth order and gender, as well as their interaction on social com- petence.
methods: The final sample comprised 196 participants aged 18 - 75 years (151 females, mean age (SD) = 28.37 years (13.48)). Data were collected within a quantitative cross-sectional design. Social competence was measured through the short form of Kanning's Inventory of Social Competence (ISK-K), which evaluates social competence using four secondary scales: offensiveness, social orientation, self-regulation, and reflexivity.
results: Results yielded significantly higher social orientation scores for laterborns when compared to firstborns. With regard to other dimensions of social competence, no birth order related differences were found. Gender differences were observed in offensiveness and self-regulation, with males scoring significantly higher on the respective scales than females. No gender-specific differences were identified on the dimensions of social orientation and reflexivity.
conclusions: Findings from our study suggest that gender and birth order can impact on specific aspects of social competence. They clearly emphasize the importance of further empirical research on siblings, birth order, and their effects on social competence.