Whether or not they admit it, previous investigations show that most parents have favorite children.
A recent study by Brigham Young University (Byu) in Utah examined the reasons behind the parents who show favoritism, a phenomenon called parental differential treatment (PDT).
To do this, they gathered a large set of existing studies between August 2015 and April 2022, according to a university press release.
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Searches for terms such as “parents’ favoritism”, “brothers” and “differential raising” in multiple databases led researchers to at least 243 studies. After applying certain criteria, the pool was reduced to 30.
Younger brothers often receive preferential treatment, but older children receive more freedom, according to the study. (Istock)
The team also communicated with researchers around the world and identified 14 more data sets with unpublished or unique data.
Then, the researchers analyzed patterns related to features such as the order of birth, gender and personality to draw conclusions about PDT.
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Fox News Digital spoke with the main author of the study, the professor of the School of Family Life of Byu, Alex Jensen, to discuss the findings, which were published in the Psychological Bulletin magazine.
The daughters tend to receive a preferential treatment, according to Jensen, although the children themselves did not perceive it.
“I was surprised that both mothers and fathers favor daughters. We thought parents would favor the sons,” said the main author of the study. (Istock)
“I was surprised that both mothers and fathers favor daughters,” said the researcher. “We thought parents would favor children.”
A reason could be evolutionary, it meant. “In many past societies, children were a kind of security network as parents aged. Children could provide material resources to help them.”
“Parents must work to be open to listen to their children’s perspective without being defensive.”
In modern Western societies, daughters are much more likely to take care of older parents, Jensen said.
“In that way, parents can be storing ‘social capital’ with their daughters, with the potential that daughters provide attention later.”
During childhood, he said, children are more inclined to play outdoors in larger groups and indoor daughters with smaller groups.
The birthday seems to be a factor, with the youngest brothers often receiving a preferential treatment. (Istock)
“In recent decades, parents have become less and less inclined to allow their children to play outdoors without supervision,” Jensen told Fox News Digital. “The daughters can, on average, be more appropriate for the culture of current parenting and, therefore, easier for parents.”
The birthday also seems to be a factor, with the youngest brothers often receiving a preferential treatment.
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The older brothers, however, receive more autonomy and freedom, according to Jensen. That same treatment seemed to last in adulthood, according to the study.
The most pleasant and responsible children also tend to be favored. “I think they are easier than parents,” said Jensen.
“Daughters can, on average, be more appropriate for the culture of current parenting and, therefore, easier for parents,” said Jensen. (Istock)
“For example, a pleasant child is more likely to do what the father asks for. A conscientious child will be more likely to do his homework, his tasks … or are aware of those around them and their needs.”
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Looking towards the future, Jensen hopes that understanding more about how parents treat their children and the resulting impact can allow them to take measures to better make their children’s feelings better.
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A study several years ago suggested that if children understand why they are treated differently, differences do not matter so much, according to the researcher.
“In some cases, I would say that what children think is more important,” he said. “Parents must work to be open to listen to their children’s perspective without being defensive.”
