Who's the favourite child? Study reveals the parameters that shape parental favouritism

Every sibling, at some point, must have had a tiff over that one burning question: who’s the favourite child? From exaggerated claims of being adopted from a dumpster to complaints about who gets away with more, siblings occasionally duel over perceived parental favoritism.

A study published in Psychological Bulletin actually has the answer to it, revealing parents may actually be lenient towards daughters and children who are responsible and easy to get along.

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How parenting depends on gender

Daughters are slightly more likely to receive biased treatment from parents, as seen among participants based in the U.S. However, when children were asked about it, they didn’t seem to perceive this favoritism the same way.

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How parenting depends on children's behaviour

The researchers revealed certain personality traits like conscientiousness or agreeableness, which get more favourable treatment from parents. Conscientious children are organised, responsible and self-disciplined, while agreeable children are kind and easygoing. It makes sense as parenting with them becomes easier, with more chances of receiving warmth.

Furthermore, it may also be implied that daughters are more likely to be self-disciplined, organised, and even easygoing in contrast to sons, which could partly somewhat explain why they receive more favourable treatment from parents.

How birth order affects parenting

The study found another angle to preferential treatment, although a much subtler one. Older children may not be the absolute favorites, but they do tend to receive more independence and freedom. This is likely due to their age, which may lead parents to believe they are more mature than their younger siblings.

The study looked only into US and European families, based on the participants, so the findings may not be universal, but is worth while to acknowledge that children's personalities and other factors do affect parenting.