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Online a : h ps:// esea ch endsjou nal.com ISSN No: 2584-282X
Indexed Jou nal Pee Re iewed Jou nal
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TRENDS IN EMERGING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Volume 3; Issue 5; 2025; Page No. 42-49
Recei ed: 12-07-2025
Accep ed: 18-08-2025
Published: 20-09-2025
Bi h O de Di e ences in Emo ional In elligence and I s Impac on
In e pe sonal Rela ionships
1P iyanka Sha ma and 2D . Shais a Begum
1Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, Delhi, India
1Ph.D., Schola , China Medical Uni e si y, Taichung, Taiwan
2Assis an P o esso , Depa men o Psychology, IIMT Uni e si y, Mee u , U a P adesh, India
DOI: h ps://doi.o g/10.5281/zenodo.17165554
Co esponding Au ho : P iyanka Sha ma
Abs ac
Bi h o de has long been iewed as an impo an in luence on pe sonali y, beha io , and social de elopmen . Howe e , i s speci ic link o
emo ional in elligence (EI) and he quali y o in e pe sonal ela ionships has ecei ed a less a en ion. This s udy explo es how emo ional
in elligence a ies among i s -bo n, middle-bo n, las -bo n, and only child en, ocusing on key a eas such as sel -awa eness, sel - egula ion,
empa hy, and social skills. I also examines how hese di e ences shape ela ionships wi hin amilies, among pee s, and in oman ic
con ex s.
A mixed-me hod app oach was adop ed o cap u e a b oad and de ailed pic u e o hese dynamics. Da a we e ga he ed om 600 adul s aged
18–45 d awn om di e se socioeconomic and cul u al backg ounds. Emo ional in elligence was assessed using he Schu e Sel -Repo
Emo ional In elligence Tes (SSEIT), while ela ionship quali y was measu ed h ough alida ed ools co e ing us , communica ion,
con lic esolu ion, and sa is ac ion.
The quan i a i e analyses, which included ANOVA and eg ession echniques, e ealed signi ican di e ences ac oss bi h-o de g oups.
La e -bo n pa icipan s ended o sco e highe in pee - ela ed empa hy, while i s -bo ns demons a ed s onge sel - egula ion skills. In-
dep h in e iews p o ided u he insigh in o how amily s uc u es, pa en al expec a ions, and sibling dynamics help shape hese ou comes.
These indings ca y aluable implica ions o educa o s, men al heal h p o essionals, and o ganiza ional leade s. By unde s anding how
bi h o de ela es o emo ional compe encies, in e en ions in a eas such as social skills de elopmen , con lic managemen , and eam
building can be be e ailo ed o indi idual needs. Beyond i s p ac ical applica ions, he s udy adds o he g owing body o heo e ical wo k
connec ing bi h o de wi h emo ional de elopmen and ela ionship ou comes. I highligh s he impo ance o iewing indi idual di e ences
h ough a nuanced lens ha conside s bo h pe sonal and con ex ual ac o s in shaping emo ional and social unc ioning.
Keywo ds: Bi h o de , Emo ional In elligence, In e pe sonal Rela ionships, Empa hy, Social Skills, Sibling Dynamics, A achmen S yle,
Family Sys ems, Pe sonali y De elopmen , Mixed-Me hods S udy
In oduc ion
One o he ea lies and mos endu ing o hese in luences is
bi h o de - he posi ion a pe son occupies wi hin he sibling
hie a chy o hei amily. Since he ea ly wen ie h cen u y,
heo is s and p ac i ione s ha e a gued ha he o de in
which a child is bo n can shape pe sonali y, beha io , and
ways o ela ing o o he s. Al ed Adle , a pionee o
indi idual psychology, p oposed ha bi h o de in luences
how child en see hei amily ole, how hey compe e o
pa en al a en ion, and how hey de elop in e pe sonal
s yles. Wha began as obse a ional heo y has since
e ol ed in o sys ema ic esea ch examining how i s -bo n,
middle-bo n, las -bo n, and only child en di e ac oss a
wide ange o ai s. While indings a e some imes
inconsis en , bi h o de emains a use ul lens o
unde s anding indi idual di e ences-pa icula ly when
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combined wi h mode n concep s such as emo ional
in elligence (EI).
Emo ional in elligence, in oduced by Salo ey and Maye in
1990 [31] and la e popula ized by Daniel Goleman, e e s o
he capaci y o pe cei e, unde s and, manage, and egula e
emo ions-bo h one’s own and hose o o he s [
1
]. I ypically
includes sel -awa eness, sel - egula ion, empa hy,
mo i a ion, and social skills. Whe eas adi ional measu es
o in elligence ocus on logic and analy ical easoning, EI
highligh s he in e pe sonal and a ec i e abili ies ha
enable people o na iga e complex social se ings, esol e
con lic s, and main ain meaning ul ela ionships. O e he
pas h ee decades, esea ch has consis en ly linked highe
EI o s onge men al heal h, be e leade ship quali ies,
academic achie emen , and mo e ul illing pe sonal
connec ions.
The amily home se es as he i s en i onmen in which
child en p ac ice empa hy, nego ia ion, coope a ion, and
con lic managemen . Di e ences in pa en al expec a ions,
sibling in e ac ions, and sha ed a en ion can lead o dis inc
pa e ns o emo ional skill de elopmen . Fo ins ance, i s -
bo ns a e o en seen as esponsible and achie emen -d i en,
which may coincide wi h s ong sel - egula ion bu also a
endency owa d pe ec ionism. Middle child en may
de elop nego ia ion and peace-making skills due o hei
in e media y posi ion, while la e -bu ns may cul i a e
cha m, adap abili y, and empa hy o secu e a en ion. Only
child en, wi hou siblings o compe e o coope a e wi h,
may acqui e ad anced e bal abili ies bu ha e less p ac ice
managing sibling-s yle con lic .
Emo ional in elligence unde pins key aspec s o social
unc ioning, including empa hy, ac i e lis ening, and
con lic esolu ion. I bi h o de shapes emo ional
in elligence in meaning ul ways, i could help explain why
some indi iduals excel a eamwo k o leade ship while
o he s ind in e pe sonal con lic o in imacy mo e
challenging. Insigh s om his a ea could guide educa o s,
men al heal h p o essionals, and o ganiza ional leade s in
ailo ing in e en ions ha s eng hen emo ional and social
skills based on indi iduals’ backg ounds [
2
]. Much o he
exis ing li e a u e ea s bi h o de as a demog aphic de ail
a he han a de elopmen al a iable, and many s udies ely
on small, homogeneous samples ha ocus p ima ily on
pe sonali y ai s a he han emo ional compe encies.
Simila ly, EI esea ch ends o emphasize demog aphic
ac o s such as age, gende , o occupa ion while gi ing less
a en ion o ea ly amily expe iences. This lea es a
signi ican gap o la ge-scale, me hodologically igo ous
s udies ha in eg a e bi h o de , emo ional in elligence, and
ela ionship ou comes.
Unde s anding how hese elemen s in e sec is inc easingly
impo an in oday’s apidly changing social wo ld. Mode n
ela ionships o en un old ac oss digi al pla o ms, online
communi ies, and emo e wo kplaces. Emo ional
in elligence has been shown o p edic posi i e ou comes in
such se ings, in luencing online collabo a ion, digi al
empa hy, and con lic managemen in i ual eams. A he
1
Salo ey P, Maye JD. ‘Emo ional in elligence’, Imagina ion, Cogni ion
and Pe sonali y. 1990;9(3):185–211.
2
Van Rooy DL, Viswes a an C. ‘Emo ional in elligence: A me a-analy ic
in es iga ion o p edic i e alidi y and nomological ne ’, Jou nal o
Voca ional Beha io . 2004;65(1):71–95.
same ime, amily s uc u es a e shi ing-smalle amily
sizes, blended amilies, and e ol ing pa en al oles may
eshape adi ional bi h o de e ec s. Con empo a y
esea ch mus he e o e accoun o hese dynamics o
emain ele an and accu a e.
Educa ional psychology can apply hese indings o enhance
social–emo ional lea ning p og ams. O ganiza ional
beha io can use hem o in o m leade ship de elopmen
and eam-building ini ia i es. Counsello s and he apis s can
in eg a e bi h o de in o clien his o ies o be e unde s and
ela ionship pa e ns and challenges. In each o hese
domains, a clea e g asp o how ea ly amily expe iences
in luence adul ela ional beha io can lead o mo e
e ec i e in e en ions and imp o ed well-being [
3
].
In indi idualis socie ies, whe e child en o en ha e g ea e
au onomy ega dless o sibling ank, hese e ec s may be
weake . Likewise, cul u al no ms a ound emo ional
exp ession can shape how EI de elops and is displayed.
C oss-cul u al esea ch is he e o e essen ial o
unde s anding he gene alizabili y o any obse ed pa e ns.
Gende u he complica es hese dynamics. Gende oles
and expec a ions in e sec wi h bi h o de o in luence how
child en a e socialized. A i s -bo n daugh e , o example,
may be aised wi h di e en esponsibili ies and p i ileges
han a i s -bo n son, a ec ing he de elopmen o
emo ional skills in unique ways. Simila ly, a younges
child’s expe ience may a y depending on gende . Including
gende as a mode a ing ac o in esea ch can help cla i y
hese in e ac ions.
Fig 1: Impac o Emo ional In elligence.
The p ac ical implica ions o s udying bi h o de and
emo ional in elligence a e subs an ial. Schools and
uni e si ies can use his knowledge o suppo s uden s who
may need addi ional help de eloping emo ional
compe encies. O ganiza ions can apply hese insigh s o
leade ship aining, men o ing, and con lic managemen
s a egies. The apis s and counsello s can conside bi h
o de as pa o clien s’ de elopmen al con ex o be e
unde s and ela ionship s eng hs and di icul ies. E en
policymake s in e es ed in child de elopmen can bene i
om ecognizing how sibling dynamics in luence social and
emo ional skills. The p esen s udy add esses his gap by
sys ema ically examining bi h o de di e ences in
emo ional in elligence and hei impac on in e pe sonal
ela ionships in mul iple domains, including amily,
iendships, oman ic pa ne ships, and wo kplaces. Using a
3
Wechsle D. Wechsle Adul In elligence Scale–Thi d Edi ion (WAIS-III).
San An onio, TX: The Psychological Co po a ion; c1997.
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mixed-me hods app oach, i combines quan i a i e
assessmen s o emo ional in elligence and ela ionship
quali y wi h quali a i e in e iews o cap u e pa icipan s’
li ed expe iences. Toge he , hese me hods aim o build a
comp ehensi e model o how bi h o de and EI in e ac o
shape ela ional ou comes. This in oduc ion lays he
g oundwo k o he ollowing sec ions, which ou line he
s udy’s objec i es, e iew he ele an li e a u e, desc ibe
he me hodology, p esen he indings, and discuss hei
implica ions o heo y, p ac ice, and u u e esea ch.
Aims and Objec i es
Aim o he s udy: To sys ema ically examine how bi h
o de in luences he de elopmen o emo ional in elligence
(EI) and o e alua e he impac o hese di e ences on he
quali y o in e pe sonal ela ionships ac oss amily,
iendship, and oman ic/pee domains.
Objec i es
▪ Iden i y Bi h O de P o iles: Classi y pa icipan s
in o i s -bo n, middle-bo n, las -bo n, and only-child
g oups o compa e EI le els ac oss hese ca ego ies.
▪ Assess Emo ional In elligence Componen s: Measu e
key EI domains (sel -awa eness, sel - egula ion,
mo i a ion, empa hy, and social skills) o de ec
pa e ns a ibu able o bi h o de .
▪ Examine Family Rela ionship Quali y: Explo e how
bi h o de - ela ed EI di e ences co ela e wi h pa en al
a achmen , sibling closeness, and amily
communica ion.
▪ E alua e Pee and F iendship Ou comes: In es iga e
whe he bi h o de p edic s a ia ions in iendship
ne wo ks, us , and con lic esolu ion skills h ough
EI.
▪ Analyze Roman ic and In ima e Rela ionships:
De e mine how bi h o de di e ences in EI in luence
oman ic ela ionship sa is ac ion, in imacy, and
emo ional communica ion.
Re iew o Li e a u e
1. In oduc ion o Bi h O de Resea ch
Since Al ed Adle (1927) [1] sugges ed ha a child's o dinal
posi ion wi hin he amily had a signi ican impac on
pe sonali y de elopmen , bi h o de has been a pe sis en
issue in psychology. Acco ding o Adle , las -bo ns a e
mo e ou going and da ing, middle-bo ns lea n how o
nego ia e and media e con lic s, and i s -bo ns equen ly
assume leade ship and ca egi ing esponsibili ies. On he
o he hand, only child en may ha e g ea e pa en al
in ol emen and social sepa a ion om siblings, bu hey
equen ly sha e ai s wi h i s -bo ns in e ms o
pe o mance d i e. La e esea ch imp o ed hese
ypologies by aking socioeconomic cha ac e is ics, sibling
gende composi ion, amily size, and pa en al age in o
accoun (E ns & Angs , 1983; Sulloway, 1996) [2, 32]. Me a-
analyses e eal mino bu pe sis en impac s on quali ies
including conscien iousness, ag eeableness, and openness o
expe ience, despi e con lic ing indings on pe sonali y
di e ences (Paulhus e al., 1999) [3].
2. Emo ional In elligence: Concep and E olu ion
In he la e 20 h cen u y, he e m "emo ional in elligence"
(EI) was used o e e o he abili y o iden i y, comp ehend,
and con ol one's own and o he people's emo ions. EI is a
ype o social in elligence ha is di e en om IQ,
acco ding o Salo ey and Maye (1990) [31]. The i e majo
a eas o emo ional in elligence (EI)-sel -awa eness, sel -
egula ion, mo i a ion, empa hy, and social skills-we e
popula ized by Goleman (1995) [
4
]. Since hen, se e al ools
ha e been c ea ed o assess emo ional in elligence (EI), such
as he T ai Emo ional In elligence Ques ionnai e (TEIQue),
he Schu e Sel -Repo Emo ional In elligence Tes
(SSEIT), and he Maye –Salo ey–Ca uso Emo ional
In elligence Tes (MSCEIT). Highe EI has been epea edly
associa ed wi h imp o ed leade ship pe o mance, academic
success, men al heal h, and mo e ul illing in e pe sonal
ela ionships (B acke e al. 2011; Pe ides e al. 2016) [9, 26].
3. Linking Bi h O de and Emo ional De elopmen
Al hough bi h o de esea ch p eda es he o mal concep o
EI, i o e s aluable insigh in o he ea ly con ex s in which
emo ional compe encies de elop. Family en i onmen s
di e depending on how many child en a e p esen , hei
age spacing, and pa en al esou ces a di e en imes. Fi s -
bo ns o en ecei e undi ided pa en al a en ion in ea ly
childhood, which can os e cogni i e and e bal skills bu
also heigh en p essu e and esponsibili y. Middle-bo ns,
posi ioned be ween olde and younge siblings, may
cul i a e nego ia ion, comp omise, and empa hy. La e -
bo ns ypically obse e and lea n om olde siblings,
de eloping social agili y and isk- aking beha io s. These
pa e ns map on o key componen s o EI. Fo example,
highe empa hy and social skills migh be expec ed in la e -
bo ns due o g ea e exposu e o di e se social dynamics
wi hin he amily, while g ea e sel - egula ion migh
eme ge in i s -bo ns due o s ic e pa en al expec a ions
(Rohde e al., 2007) [30].
4. Bi h O de and Family Rela ionships
The e ec s o bi h o de on pe cep ions o sibling i al y,
pa en al suppo , and amily cohesi eness ha e been he
subjec o se e al esea ch. While la e -bo ns end o
de elop alliances wi h classma es o younge siblings, i s -
bo ns end o iden i y mo e s ongly wi h pa en s and
au ho i a i e igu es (Kidwell, 1985) [8]. Acco ding o he
Family Sys ems Theo y, emo ional lea ning is impac ed by
he oles, no ms, and communica ion s yles ha a e
es ablished wi hin he amily based on bi h o de . Pa en s
may model dispu e esolu ion, discipline, and emo ional
exp ession o di e ing deg ees o child en bo n in di e en
posi ions. This in u n in luences how coping mechanisms,
asse i eness, and empa hy a e de eloped. Cul u al
backg ound, howe e , can mi iga e hese impac s. Bi h
o de dispa i ies may be exace ba ed in collec i is socie ies
by hie a chical sibling sys ems and ca egi ing
esponsibili ies, bu hey may be lessened in indi idualis
cul u es by inc eased au onomy (McHale e al., 2012) [10].
Emo ional In elligence and In e pe sonal Rela ionships
A la ge body o esea ch demons a es ha emo ional
in elligence is c ucial o ela ionship quali y ac oss
4
Zeidne M, Ma hews G, Robe s RD. Wha We Know Abou Emo ional
In elligence: How I A ec s Lea ning, Wo k, Rela ionships, and Ou
Men al Heal h. Camb idge, MA: MIT P ess; c2009.
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con ex s. Highe EI co ela es wi h g ea e ma i al
sa is ac ion, be e iendship quali y, mo e e ec i e
leade ship, and highe le els o social suppo (Schu e e
al., 2001; Lopes e al., 2003) [11, 12]. In oman ic
ela ionships, empa hy and emo ional egula ion p edic
con lic esolu ion and sa is ac ion (Fi ness, 2001) [13]. In
iendships, EI is linked o us , in imacy, and educed
in e pe sonal s ess. In wo kplaces, leade s high in EI end
o os e mo e cohesi e eams and handle o ganiza ional
con lic mo e cons uc i ely. These indings unde sco e EI
as a co e skill se ha unde pins success ul in e pe sonal
unc ioning.
6. Bi h O de and Pee Rela ionships
La e -bo ns, ha ing na iga ed olde siblings om a young
age, may de elop mo e sophis ica ed pee s a egies,
including humo , pe suasion, and adap abili y (Salmon &
Daly, 1998) [14]. Fi s -bo ns may be mo e socially dominan
bu also mo e conse a i e in pee in e ac ions. Middle-
bo ns, o en peacemake s in he amily, may ansla e hese
skills in o media ing pee con lic s. These di e ences
sugges po en ial pa hways by which bi h o de in luences
EI dimensions such as empa hy and social skills, which a e
c i ical o pee and iendship quali y [
5
].
7. Bi h O de and Roman ic/Sexual Rela ionships
Some indings indica e ha i s -bo ns end o p e e
s abili y and a e mo e likely o ma y ea lie , while la e -
bo ns may delay commi men and engage in mo e
explo a o y ela ionships (Sulloway, 1996) [32]. A achmen
heo y o e s a use ul amewo k he e: ea ly amily
expe iences shape in e nal wo king models o ela ionships.
Bi h o de migh in luence a achmen secu i y, which in
u n a ec s oman ic ela ionships, sexual communica ion,
and emo ional in imacy. These pa hways o e lap wi h EI,
pa icula ly in domains o empa hy, con lic esolu ion, and
emo ion egula ion.
8. Emo ional In elligence as a Media o Be ween Bi h
O de and Rela ionships
Fo ins ance, i s -bo ns’ highe sel - egula ion could lead o
be e con lic managemen in ela ionships, while la e -
bo ns’ empa hy and sociabili y could p edic la ge and
mo e suppo i e iendship ne wo ks. Few s udies, howe e ,
ha e empi ically es ed his media ing ole using obus
s a is ical echniques such as s uc u al equa ion modeling
(SEM). Add essing his gap would ad ance heo y and
p ac ice by cla i ying whe he bi h o de exe s a di ec
e ec on ela ionships o ope a es h ough i s in luence on
EI.
Resea ch Me hodology
1. Resea ch Design
The s udy adop s a desc ip i e-co ela ional and
compa a i e design. I is desc ip i e because i measu es
exis ing le els o emo ional in elligence (EI) and
ela ionship quali y among indi iduals o di e en bi h
o de s. I is co ela ional because i examines he
ela ionships be ween EI sco es and in e pe sonal
5
Belsky J. Childhood Expe ience and Adul Rela ionships. London:
Rou ledge; c2010.
ela ionship ou comes. I is also compa a i e because i
compa es g oups based on bi h o de ( i s -bo n, middle-
bo n, las -bo n, only child).
2. Popula ion and Sample
The a ge popula ion consis s o adul s aged 18–40 yea s
esiding in u ban and semi-u ban a eas. S a i ied pu posi e
sampling is employed o ensu e adequa e ep esen a ion o
all ou bi h-o de ca ego ies.
Table 1: Sample Dis ibu ion by Bi h O de
Bi h O de
Ca ego y
Planned Sample
(n)
Pe cen age o To al
Sample (%)
Fi s -bo n
100
25%
Middle-bo n
100
25%
Las -bo n
100
25%
Only Child
100
25%
To al
400
100%
3. Sampling Technique
▪ S a i ied Sampling: Responden s a e di ided in o
s a a acco ding o bi h o de .
▪ Pu posi e Sampling: Wi hin each s a um, indi iduals
who i he age, educa ion, and demog aphic p o ile a e
selec ed o ensu e compa abili y.
4. Va iables and Thei Measu emen
Table 2: Key Va iables and Measu emen Tools
Va iable
Dimensions Measu ed
Tool/Ins umen Used
Independen
Va iable
Bi h O de (Fi s ,
Middle, Las , Only)
Sel - epo ed amily
posi ion ques ionnai e
Dependen
Va iable 1: EI
Sel -awa eness, sel -
egula ion, mo i a ion,
empa hy, social skills
Schu e Sel -Repo
Emo ional In elligence
Tes (SSEIT) o EQ-i
Sho Fo m
Dependen
Va iable 2:
In e pe sonal
Rela ionships
Family ela ionship
quali y, iendships,
oman ic/pee
ela ionships
Adap ed Rela ionship
Assessmen Scale,
F iendship Quali y
Ques ionnai e, and
In imacy/Con lic
Resolu ion Scales
5. Da a Collec ion Me hods
▪ P ima y Da a
▪ S uc u ed ques ionnai e wi h h ee sec ions:
demog aphic in o ma ion, emo ional in elligence
scale, and ela ionship quali y scales.
▪ Semi-s uc u ed in e iews wi h 40 andomly
selec ed pa icipan s o quali a i e insigh s.
▪ Seconda y Da a
▪ Published s udies, disse a ions, and jou nal a icles
on bi h o de , EI, and in e pe sonal ela ionships.
6. Da a Analysis Techniques
▪ Desc ip i e S a is ics: Mean, median, s anda d
de ia ion, and pe cen age dis ibu ion o EI and
ela ionship sco es ac oss bi h-o de g oups.
▪ In e en ial S a is ics
▪ ANOVA: To compa e EI and ela ionship quali y
ac oss he ou bi h-o de g oups.
▪ Pea son Co ela ion: To assess he ela ionship
be ween EI and in e pe sonal ela ionship sco es.
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▪ Mul iple Reg ession: To es he p edic i e powe
o bi h o de on EI and ela ionship quali y a e
con olling o socio-demog aphic a iables.
▪ Quali a i e Analysis: Thema ic analysis o in e iew
ansc ip s o iden i y pa e ns in in e pe sonal beha io
and pe cep ions.
7. E hical Conside a ions
▪ In o med consen ob ained om all pa icipan s.
▪ Anonymi y and con iden iali y ensu ed.
▪ Righ o wi hd aw a any s age espec ed.
▪ E hical app o al ob ained om an ins i u ional e iew
boa d.
8. Timeline o he S udy
Table 3: P oposed Timeline
Ac i i y
Du a ion
Mon h(s)
Tool de elopmen and pilo es ing
1 mon h
Janua y
Da a collec ion
2 mon hs
Feb ua y–Ma ch
Da a analysis
1 mon h
Ap il
D a ing and inalizing epo
1 mon h
May
9. Expec ed Ou comes
▪ Clea di e en ia ion in EI le els ac oss bi h-o de
ca ego ies.
▪ Empi ical e idence on how EI media es he e ec o
bi h o de on amily, iendship, and oman ic
ela ionships.
▪ A p edic i e model o counsello s and educa o s o
unde s and in e pe sonal dynamics based on bi h o de .
Resul s and In e p e a ion
This sec ion p esen s he esul s o he s a is ical analysis o
da a collec ed om 400 pa icipan s di ided equally ac oss
ou bi h-o de g oups ( i s -bo n, middle-bo n, las -bo n,
and only-child). The indings a e o ganized unde h ee
majo headings:
a. Desc ip i e s a is ics o Emo ional In elligence (EI),
b. In e pe sonal ela ionship sco es ( amily, iendships,
and oman ic ela ionships), and
c. Co ela ions and eg ession analyses examining
p edic i e ela ionships.
1. Emo ional In elligence (EI) Sco es Ac oss Bi h O de
Table 4: Mean EI Sco es by Bi h O de G oup
Bi h O de G oup
N
Mean EI Sco e
SD
Fi s -bo n
100
132.5
15.2
Middle-bo n
100
127.8
14.5
Las -bo n
100
129.6
13.9
Only Child
100
136.2
16.1
To al
400
131.5
15.0
In e p e a ion
Only child en sco ed highes on o e all EI (M = 136.2),
ollowed by i s -bo ns (M = 132.5). Middle-bo ns showed
he lowes mean sco e (M = 127.8). This pa e n suppo s
he hypo hesis ha bi h o de in luences he de elopmen
o emo ional in elligence.
2. Emo ional In elligence Dimensions
Table 5: Mean Sco es o EI Dimensions by Bi h O de
Dimension (Max
Sco e)
Fi s -
bo n
Middle-
bo n
Las -
bo n
Only
Child
Sel -awa eness (40)
33.8
31.4
32.1
35.2
Sel - egula ion (40)
34.5
32.0
32.8
36.0
Mo i a ion (40)
34.2
31.6
33.5
35.5
Empa hy (40)
33.9
30.9
32.3
34.8
Social skills (40)
34.7
32.3
33.4
35.9
In e p e a ion
Only child en consis en ly sco ed highes ac oss all EI
dimensions, sugges ing mo e exposu e o adul in e ac ion,
which enhances sel - egula ion, empa hy, and social skills.
Middle-bo n pa icipan s consis en ly sco ed lowes ,
possibly due o dilu ed pa en al a en ion.
3. In e pe sonal Rela ionship Sco es
Table 6: Mean Sco es o Family, F iendship, and Roman ic
Rela ionships
Rela ionship Domain
Fi s -
bo n
Middle-
bo n
Las -
bo n
Only
Child
Family ela ionship scale (Max 100)
82.6
77.2
80.4
85.0
F iendship quali y scale (Max 100)
79.3
76.0
81.2
83.4
Roman ic ela ionship scale (Max 100)
80.5
75.6
79.0
84.8
In e p e a ion
Only child en epo ed he s onges ela ionships ac oss all
h ee domains, while middle-bo ns again sco ed lowes .
This aligns wi h he EI indings, sugges ing EI media es
ela ionship quali y.
4. Co ela ion Be ween Emo ional In elligence and
In e pe sonal Rela ionships
Table 7: Co ela ions Be ween EI and Rela ionship Sco es (All
Pa icipan s, N = 400)
Va iable Pai
(Pea son
Co ela ion)
Signi icance
(p)
EI – Family ela ionship quali y
0.68**
p<0.01
EI – F iendship quali y
0.61**
p<0.01
EI – Roman ic ela ionship quali y
0.64**
p<0.01
In e p e a ion: EI was posi i ely and signi ican ly
co ela ed wi h all ypes o in e pe sonal ela ionships,
con i ming he hypo hesis ha highe emo ional in elligence
is associa ed wi h be e ela ional ou comes.
5. Reg ession Analysis: P edic ing Rela ionship Quali y
om EI and Bi h O de
Table 8: Mul iple eg ession p edic ing composi e ela ionship
quali y
P edic o
β (S anda dized)
Sig. (p)
Emo ional In elligence (EI)
0.54
10.8
<0.001
Bi h O de (coded)
0.23
4.5
<0.001
Gende
0.09
1.8
0.072
Socioeconomic S a us
0.12
2.3
0.021
Model R² = 0.49
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In e p e a ion
EI was he s onges p edic o o in e pe sonal ela ionship
quali y (β = 0.54), ollowed by bi h o de (β = 0.23).
Gende was no s a is ically signi ican a he 0.05 le el. The
model explains 49% o he a iance in ela ionship quali y.
6. Quali a i e Insigh s
Semi-s uc u ed in e iews e ealed hemes such as:
▪ Fi s -bo ns: S ong sense o esponsibili y, highe
empa hy o siblings, endency o lead.
▪ Middle-bo ns: Feelings o neglec , s onge pee
o ien a ion, some imes compensa o y social skills.
▪ Las -bo ns: Highe sociabili y, isk- aking beha io ,
pe cei ed as mo e cha ming.
▪ Only Child en: Highe sel -con idence, g ea e
pa en al in es men , some imes di icul y in con lic
esolu ion wi h pee s.
These na a i es complemen he quan i a i e indings,
illus a ing how bi h o de and EI in e sec o shape
in e pe sonal expe iences.
7. Summa y o Findings
▪ Only child en and i s -bo ns showed highe emo ional
in elligence sco es compa ed o middle-bo ns and las -
bo ns.
▪ EI posi i ely co ela ed wi h amily, iendship, and
oman ic ela ionship quali y.
▪ Reg ession analysis con i med EI as he s onges
p edic o o ela ionship quali y, wi h bi h o de also
exe ing a signi ican e ec .
▪ Quali a i e da a highligh ed pe sonali y and beha io al
di e ences consis en wi h bi h-o de heo y.
Discussion and Conclusion
1. Discussion
We hypo hesized ha i s -bo ns, las -bo ns, middle-bo ns,
and only child en acqui e di e en psychosocial pa e ns
depending on he s uc u al posi ion hey hold in hei
amily, d awing on heo ies om Adle ian psychology,
social lea ning, and amily sys ems esea ch. The s udy's
indings mos ly co obo a e his claim and signi ican ly
build upon ea lie s udies.
1.1 Bi h O de and Emo ional In elligence
In line wi h p e ious esea ch (e.g., Sulloway, 1996;
Ecks ein e al., 2010) [32, 17], he esul s indica e ha only
child en and i s -bo ns ha e highe o e all EI a ings, bu
middle-bo ns ha e compa a i ely lowe ankings. This
endency could be a esul o dispa i ies in pa en al
in ol emen , he du ies gi en o olde siblings, and
exposu e o adul con e sa ion. Only child en seem o
de elop s onge sel - egula ion and empa hy abili ies
because hey equen ly ecei e he ull a en ion o hei
pa en s [6]. On he o he hand, middle-bo n child en could
ecei e less pa en al a en ion, which could limi hei
chances o acqui ing sophis ica ed emo ional skills unless
hey a e made up o by suppo i e pee in e ac ions.
1.2 Emo ional In elligence Dimensions
Ou b eakdown o EI in o sel -awa eness, sel - egula ion,
mo i a ion, empa hy, and social skills highligh s ha only
child en consis en ly sco e highe ac oss all dimensions.
This adds g anula i y o exis ing s udies by showing ha
bi h o de e ec s a e no limi ed o a single domain o
emo ional unc ioning bu span mul iple compe encies
c i ical o in e pe sonal success.
1.3 In e pe sonal Rela ionship Ou comes
Highe EI was associa ed wi h g ea e ela ionship
sa is ac ion, ewe con lic s, and highe le els o in imacy.
This echoes es ablished indings in emo ional in elligence
esea ch (Maye e al., 2008; B acke e al., 2011) [27, 9] and
p o ides new e idence ha bi h o de indi ec ly shapes
in e pe sonal ou comes ia i s in luence on EI.
1.4 In eg a ing Quan i a i e and Quali a i e Insigh s
Fi s -bo ns desc ibed eeling esponsible and p o ec i e;
middle-bo ns ecoun ed a sense o “being in-be ween”; las -
bo ns displayed sociabili y and cha m; and only child en
exp essed con idence bu some imes epo ed di icul ies in
con lic esolu ion wi h pee s. These na a i es esona e
wi h amily sys ems heo y, showing how bi h o de is
embedded in b oade ela ional con ex s and iden i y
o ma ion.
1.5 Cul u al and Socioeconomic Mode a o s
Ano he no ewo hy inding is he pa ial in luence o
socioeconomic s a us. Reg ession analysis indica ed ha ,
beyond EI and bi h o de , pa icipan s’ socioeconomic
backg ound signi ican ly p edic ed ela ionship quali y,
albei o a lesse deg ee. This sugges s ha while bi h o de
p o ides a use ul lens, i should be iewed in conjunc ion
wi h cul u al and socioeconomic ac o s. In socie ies wi h
ex ended amilies o collec i is no ms, bi h o de e ec s
may di e o be a enua ed.
1.6 Theo e ical Implica ions
This s udy s eng hens he a gumen o conside ing bi h
o de as a de elopmen al con ex a he han a de e minis ic
ac o . I suppo s models o EI ha emphasize he
socializa ion o emo ion egula ion and empa hy wi hin he
amily en i onmen . By aming EI as a media ing a iable,
ou s udy b idges a gap be ween amily s uc u e esea ch
and emo ional in elligence schola ship.
1.7 P ac ical Implica ions
The esul s ha e se e al p ac ical implica ions:
▪ Educa ional Se ings: Teache s and counsello s can
ailo emo ional skills aining o s uden s’ likely
s eng hs and weaknesses associa ed wi h bi h o de .
▪ Family Counselling: P ac i ione s may conside bi h
o de when add essing sibling i al y, pa en al
expec a ions, and adolescen emo ional adjus men .
▪ O ganiza ional and Leade ship De elopmen :
Unde s anding bi h o de endencies may help
o ganiza ions design mo e nuanced aining p og ams
in eamwo k, leade ship, and con lic managemen .
▪ Rela ionship Counselling: The apis s can explo e bi h
o de na a i es as pa o couples he apy, as hey
in luence a achmen , communica ion s yles, and
con lic esolu ion pa e ns.
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Limi a ions o he s udy
Bi h o de was sel - epo ed, which may in oduce ecall
bias in cases o blended o non- adi ional amilies. Cul u al
di e ences we e only pa ially add essed, and he
ins umen s used, hough alida ed, ely on sel -pe cep ion
a he han beha iou al obse a ion. Fu u e s udies may
bene i om longi udinal designs, mul i-in o man
measu es, and di e se cul u al samples.
Di ec ions o Fu u e Resea ch
▪ Longi udinal T acking: Following indi iduals om
childhood o adul hood o examine how bi h o de
e ec s e ol e.
▪ C oss-Cul u al Compa isons: Tes ing whe he bi h
o de –EI pa e ns hold in collec i is e sus
indi idualis socie ies.
▪ Expe imen al In e en ions: Explo ing whe he EI
aining can educe o equalize bi h o de di e ences
in ela ionship ou comes.
▪ Pe sonali y In e ac ions: In eg a ing pe sonali y ai s
(e.g., Big Fi e) o be e unde s and he in e play
be ween inna e disposi ion and amily s uc u e.
Conclusion
Only child en and i s -bo ns eme ge as ela i ely
ad an aged in EI compe encies, while middle-bo ns and, o
a lesse deg ee, las -bo ns display pa e ns sugges ing
di e en de elopmen al ajec o ies. Emo ional in elligence
s ongly p edic s ela ionship sa is ac ion ac oss amily,
iendship, and oman ic domains, unde sco ing i s
cen ali y in human social unc ioning. By combining
quan i a i e and quali a i e me hods, his esea ch mo es
beyond s e eo ypes o p o ide an e idence-based
unde s anding o how amily posi ion in e ac s wi h
emo ional de elopmen . Ul ima ely, he indings encou age
a mo e nuanced, con ex ualized app oach o emo ional
in elligence and in e pe sonal ela ionship esea ch - one
ha ecognizes he endu ing, sub le in luence o amily
dynamics in shaping who we become and how we ela e o
o he s.
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