Birth Order and Age at Marriage*

Abstract

Two experiments are reported which were based on Schachter's (1959) work on birth order and affiliation in an anxiety provoking situation. Assuming first borns (1) are more dependent than later borns and (2) have learned, more than later borns, that being with others in an anxiety provoking situation reduces their anxiety, it was predicted that first borns would tend to marry earlier than later borns. Ninety‐three faculty members provided questionnaire data for the male and female sample. The mean marriage‐age of first born males was lower than that of the later born males ( p < 0.03). There was no significant relationship between birth order and marriage‐age for females. The second experiment was conducted to clarify the unanticipated male‐female difference found in the first experiment. It was argued that even though first born females may not actually marry earlier than later borns, unmarried female first borns would say they wanted to get married earlier than later borns. Seventy‐one unmarried female students were asked to state the best age for them to get married. The mean best‐marriage‐age for first born females was lower than that for later born females ( p < 0.001).

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