Brent Roberts will discuss research that conflicts with what parents across the globe say about siblings’ birth order, ie., the oldest takes the lead, the middle child plays the role of mediator and the baby grabs attention at every opportunity. A spate of studies in recent years, including one co-authored by Roberts, has debunked the idea that birth order has impact on personality. Learn more about the effects of birth order, and if it impacts – or doesn’t impact – personality traits.
Brent W. Roberts is a Professor of Psychology and Director of the Center for Social and Behavioral Science at the University of Illinois. Dr. Roberts received his Ph.D. from Berkeley in 1994 in Personality Psychology and worked at the University of Tulsa until 1999 when he joined the faculty at Illinois. Dr. Roberts's research has focused on determining the replicable patterns of continuity and change in personality traits across adulthood, the life experiences associated with changes in personality traits over time, and the significance of these changes for individual functioning. He has received multiple awards for his work including the Carol and Ed Diener Mid-Career Award in Personality Psychology, the Theodore Millon Mid-Career Award in Personality Psychology, the Henry Murray Award, the Jack Block Award for Distinguished Research in Personality, and an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Basel. He has served as the Associate Editor for the Journal of Research in Personality and Psychological Science and is the Past President for the Association for Research in Personality.
