Culture Post: Parental Favoritism — Daughters and Responsible Kids Get the Nod

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by MedicalXpress.

If you’ve ever wondered whether your parents secretly had a favorite child, they might have. Parents may be more inclined to confer the “favorite child award” to daughters and children who are agreeable and conscientious, according to research published in the journal Psychological Bulletin.

“For decades, researchers have known that differential treatment from parents can have lasting consequences for children,” said lead author Alexander Jensen, Ph.D., an associate professor at Brigham Young University. “This study helps us understand which children are more likely to be on the receiving end of favoritism, which can be both positive and negative.”

The study examined the link between children’s characteristics and differences in how their parents treat them, while considering potential moderators such as child age, parent gender and measurement methods.

The researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 30 peer-reviewed journal articles and dissertations/theses, along with 14 databases, encompassing a total of 19,469 participants. They examined how birth order, gender, temperament and personality traits (extraversion, agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness and neuroticism) were linked to parental favoritism.

Parents can show favoritism in numerous ways, including how they interact with their children, how much money they spend on them and how much control they exert over them, the researchers said. Altogether, they looked at five domains: overall treatment, positive interactions, negative interactions, resource allocation and control.

The researchers initially thought that mothers would tend to favor daughters and fathers would favor sons. However, the study found that both mothers and fathers were more likely to favor daughters.

Of the personality traits evaluated, children who were conscientious—meaning they were responsible and organized—also appeared to receive more favorable treatment. This suggests that parents may find these children easier to manage and may respond more positively. Jensen said he was surprised that extraversion was not associated with favoritism.

Source: MedicalXpress
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-01-parental-favoritism-daughters-responsible-kids.html

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