Birth order, personality development, and vocational choice of becoming a Carmelite nun.

Abstract

Summary This study was undertaken to determine whether there is a relation between birth order, as described by Konig and Very, and becoming a Discalced Carmelite nun. Questionnaires were sent to the United States population of fully professed Discalced Carmelite nuns, and return data compared with the United States Vital Statistics for female live births by birth order. Chi square analysis showed a significant difference (p = .01) supporting the hypothesis that the distribution of Carmelite nuns by birth order is different from the expected distribution. A greater proportion of third borns than expected became nuns. Other birth orders came closer to chance. It appears that there is a relationship betwen birth order and personality development, and that personality is a factor in an individual's vocational choice.