Episode 33 | Sibling Code: Neuroscience Meets Birth Order (Mini-Series)

Ever wonder why your sibling drives you insane—or why you lead, love, or lose yourself the way you do?In this powerful kickoff to tHE ARTichoke Podcast mini-series, we peel back the layers of birth order psychology, blending raw truth, neuroscience, trauma, and humor. This isn’t pop psych. It’s brain science in real life. Discover how family roles, societal norms, ACEs, and survival patterns silently sculpt your adult identity. You’ll never see your position—or your people—the same again.ReferencesBrant, J. M., Perry, M. L., & Dunlap, K. E. (2022). Neural correlates of hyperresponsibility in firstborn adults: A cognitive-emotional analysis. Journal of Applied Neuropsychology, 29(1), 45–58. https://doi.org/10.1080/09084282.2022.1983047CDC. (2020). Preventing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs): Leveraging the best available evidence. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/preventingACES.pdfChen, S. Y., Wang, T. R., & Li, Y. (2021). Sibling position and reward-related brain activity in adolescence. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 657302. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.657302Keller, E. A., Smith, L. A., & Nguyen, T. (2023). Reconstructing family roles through neuroplastic intervention: A sibling-order identity study. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 145, 104724. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.104724Moreno, H. K., Abrahams, T. S., & Liao, M. (2020). Emotion regulation and birth order: Neurodevelopmental insights into middle-child social cognition. Developmental Psychology, 56(4), 711–723. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000904Silva, R. C., & Yoon, J. H. (2021). Longitudinal changes in executive functioning linked to perceived sibling roles. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 33(11), 2222–2235. https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn_a_01733