نتیجه آزمون
- A) the benefits of massage
- B) the prices of services
- C) paying for appointments
- D) finding a family doctor
Part 1 - Listening to Problem Solving
Audio 002 - Conversation
Audio 003 - Conversation
Audio 004 - Conversation
Audio 005 - Conversation
Audio 006 - Conversation
Audio 007 - Conversation
Audio 008 - Conversation
Audio 009 - Conversation
Audio 010 - Conversation
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Audio 012 - Conversation
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Audio 014 - Conversation
Audio 015 - Conversation
- A) get a document from his doctor
- B) sign up for a health insurance plan
- C) ask for time off from his work
- D) reschedule his doctor appointment
Part 1 - Listening to Problem Solving
Audio 002 - Conversation
Audio 003 - Conversation
Audio 004 - Conversation
Audio 005 - Conversation
Audio 006 - Conversation
Audio 007 - Conversation
Audio 008 - Conversation
Audio 009 - Conversation
Audio 010 - Conversation
Audio 011 - Conversation
Audio 012 - Conversation
Audio 013 - Conversation
Audio 014 - Conversation
Audio 015 - Conversation
- A) get a document from his doctor
- B) sign up for a health insurance plan
- C) ask for time off from his work
- D) reschedule his doctor appointment
Part 1 - Listening to Problem Solving
Audio 002 - Conversation
Audio 003 - Conversation
Audio 004 - Conversation
Audio 005 - Conversation
Audio 006 - Conversation
Audio 007 - Conversation
Audio 008 - Conversation
Audio 009 - Conversation
Audio 010 - Conversation
Audio 011 - Conversation
Audio 012 - Conversation
Audio 013 - Conversation
Audio 014 - Conversation
Audio 015 - Conversation
- A) 75 minutes
- B) 55 minutes
- C) 45 minutes
- D) 30 minutes
Part 1 - Listening to Problem Solving
Audio 002 - Conversation
Audio 003 - Conversation
Audio 004 - Conversation
Audio 005 - Conversation
Audio 006 - Conversation
Audio 007 - Conversation
Audio 008 - Conversation
Audio 009 - Conversation
Audio 010 - Conversation
Audio 011 - Conversation
Audio 012 - Conversation
Audio 013 - Conversation
Audio 014 - Conversation
Audio 015 - Conversation
- A) He wants to try relaxation therapy.
- B) He likes to play sports.
- C) He has a stressful job.
- D) He is upset about his appointment.
Part 1 - Listening to Problem Solving
Audio 002 - Conversation
Audio 003 - Conversation
Audio 004 - Conversation
Audio 005 - Conversation
Audio 006 - Conversation
Audio 007 - Conversation
Audio 008 - Conversation
Audio 009 - Conversation
Audio 010 - Conversation
Audio 011 - Conversation
Audio 012 - Conversation
Audio 013 - Conversation
Audio 014 - Conversation
Audio 015 - Conversation
- A) impressed
- B) indifferent
- C) disappointed
- D) surprised
Part 1 - Listening to Problem Solving
Audio 002 - Conversation
Audio 003 - Conversation
Audio 004 - Conversation
Audio 005 - Conversation
Audio 006 - Conversation
Audio 007 - Conversation
Audio 008 - Conversation
Audio 009 - Conversation
Audio 010 - Conversation
Audio 011 - Conversation
Audio 012 - Conversation
Audio 013 - Conversation
Audio 014 - Conversation
Audio 015 - Conversation
- A) schedule regular appointments
- B) try a different massage therapist
- C) book his girlfriend an appointment
- D) take next Monday off from work
Part 1 - Listening to Problem Solving
Audio 002 - Conversation
Audio 003 - Conversation
Audio 004 - Conversation
Audio 005 - Conversation
Audio 006 - Conversation
Audio 007 - Conversation
Audio 008 - Conversation
Audio 009 - Conversation
Audio 010 - Conversation
Audio 011 - Conversation
Audio 012 - Conversation
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Audio 014 - Conversation
Audio 015 - Conversation
- A) It will give him some time off from work.
- B) He doesn’t have to work on Mondays.
- C) He doesn’t want to have to wait long.
- D) It will relax him for the upcoming week.
Part 1 - Listening to Problem Solving
Audio 002 - Conversation
Audio 003 - Conversation
Audio 004 - Conversation
Audio 005 - Conversation
Audio 006 - Conversation
Audio 007 - Conversation
Audio 008 - Conversation
Audio 009 - Conversation
Audio 010 - Conversation
Audio 011 - Conversation
Audio 012 - Conversation
Audio 013 - Conversation
Audio 014 - Conversation
Audio 015 - Conversation
- A) a new activity available in the community
- B) a travelling circus that is coming to town
- C) things the woman did on her vacation
- D) places that have dog training courses
Part 2 - Listening to a Daily Life Conversation
Audio 016 - Conversation
Audio 017 - Conversation
Audio 018 - Conversation
Audio 019 - Conversation
Audio 020 - Conversation
Audio 021 - Conversation
Audio 022 - Conversation
- A) Her dog was causing too much trouble.
- B) There wasn’t much traffic on the roads.
- C) She wanted to get back before Saturday.
- D) There wasn’t much to do at camp.
Part 2 - Listening to a Daily Life Conversation
Audio 016 - Conversation
Audio 017 - Conversation
Audio 018 - Conversation
Audio 019 - Conversation
Audio 020 - Conversation
Audio 021 - Conversation
Audio 022 - Conversation
- A) Her dog is used to taking long car rides.
- B) Her children attend a local circus school.
- C) She dislikes physical activity.
- D) She often loses when playing cards.
Part 2 - Listening to a Daily Life Conversation
Audio 016 - Conversation
Audio 017 - Conversation
Audio 018 - Conversation
Audio 019 - Conversation
Audio 020 - Conversation
Audio 021 - Conversation
Audio 022 - Conversation
- A) It's never too late to learn new skills.
- B) Games are a waste of time for adults.
- C) The woman’s dog should be trained.
- D) The woman's interests are strange.
Part 2 - Listening to a Daily Life Conversation
Audio 016 - Conversation
Audio 017 - Conversation
Audio 018 - Conversation
Audio 019 - Conversation
Audio 020 - Conversation
Audio 021 - Conversation
Audio 022 - Conversation
- A) She will ask if another class time is available.
- B) She will sign up for one of the classes.
- C) She will cancel her usual Saturday plans.
- D) She will purchase an alarm clock.
Part 2 - Listening to a Daily Life Conversation
Audio 016 - Conversation
Audio 017 - Conversation
Audio 018 - Conversation
Audio 019 - Conversation
Audio 020 - Conversation
Audio 021 - Conversation
Audio 022 - Conversation
- A) how to do something somewhat new
- B) why one should learn a new skill
- C) how to skillfully compare dissimilar things
- D) why a particular endeavour is difficult
Part 3 - Listening for Information
Audio 023 - Conversation
Audio 024 - Conversation
Audio 025 - Conversation
Audio 026 - Conversation
Audio 027 - Conversation
Audio 028 - Conversation
Audio 029 - Conversation
Audio 030 - Conversation
- A) She lives close to several movie theatres.
- B) She has access to a television movie channel.
- C) Her friend invites her to watch movies at his house.
- D) Her friend has given her several movies to watch.
Part 3 - Listening for Information
Audio 023 - Conversation
Audio 024 - Conversation
Audio 025 - Conversation
Audio 026 - Conversation
Audio 027 - Conversation
Audio 028 - Conversation
Audio 029 - Conversation
Audio 030 - Conversation
- A) Never reveal the ending.
- B) Do so at the beginning of a review.
- C) Warn readers before doing so.
- D) Do so only for certain genres.
Part 3 - Listening for Information
Audio 023 - Conversation
Audio 024 - Conversation
Audio 025 - Conversation
Audio 026 - Conversation
Audio 027 - Conversation
Audio 028 - Conversation
Audio 029 - Conversation
Audio 030 - Conversation
- A) She wrote book reviews in school.
- B) She used to be a teacher.
- C) She has an online movie blog.
- D) She used to be a singer.
Part 3 - Listening for Information
Audio 023 - Conversation
Audio 024 - Conversation
Audio 025 - Conversation
Audio 026 - Conversation
Audio 027 - Conversation
Audio 028 - Conversation
Audio 029 - Conversation
Audio 030 - Conversation
- A) movies produced in Hollywood
- B) movies of one particular genre
- C) movies produced in different countries
- D) movies full of special effects
Part 3 - Listening for Information
Audio 023 - Conversation
Audio 024 - Conversation
Audio 025 - Conversation
Audio 026 - Conversation
Audio 027 - Conversation
Audio 028 - Conversation
Audio 029 - Conversation
Audio 030 - Conversation
- A) relieved
- B) frustrated
- C) annoyed
- D) enthusiastic
Part 3 - Listening for Information
Audio 023 - Conversation
Audio 024 - Conversation
Audio 025 - Conversation
Audio 026 - Conversation
Audio 027 - Conversation
Audio 028 - Conversation
Audio 029 - Conversation
Audio 030 - Conversation
- A) creative ways for teaching children.
- B) new research on seniors’ health.
- C) an innovative community program.
- D) an uncommon psychological treatment.
Part 4 - Listening to a News Item
Audio 031 - News Item
A new daycare is set to open at Mayfair Seniors Residence this month. The concept, although not new in Canada, is the first of its kind in Saskatchewan. In fact, the city of Toronto has been running combined facilities for over 25 years with tremendous success. The combined care centers are intended to foster intergenerational interaction among the children and the seniors. Psychologist Linda Rogers says there are benefits for both parties. On the one hand, seniors are encouraged to socialize and get moving by participating in activities with the children, which are supervised and organized by licensed professionals. Other potential health benefits for seniors include lower levels of depression and slower cognitive decline. For the children, Rogers says it's an opportunity to develop empathy and understanding towards others. It may even help reduce age discrimination. Some Community (people living in an area) members have expressed health concerns. However, manager (person in charge) of Toronto's early childhood education facilities, Mansour Jalali, argues that their centers have not seen any significant increase in illnesses because careful sanitation measures are taken. Participants must use hand sanitizers before and after activities and the center has disinfectant protocols in place for the daycare and residential centers.
- A) play games with the children.
- B) organize activities for the children.
- C) supervise the children’s playtime.
- D) make the children’s lunches.
Part 4 - Listening to a News Item
Audio 031 - News Item
A new daycare is set to open at Mayfair Seniors Residence this month. The concept, although not new in Canada, is the first of its kind in Saskatchewan. In fact, the city of Toronto has been running combined facilities for over 25 years with tremendous success. The combined care centers are intended to foster intergenerational interaction among the children and the seniors. Psychologist Linda Rogers says there are benefits for both parties. On the one hand, seniors are encouraged to socialize and get moving by participating in activities with the children, which are supervised and organized by licensed professionals. Other potential health benefits for seniors include lower levels of depression and slower cognitive decline. For the children, Rogers says it's an opportunity to develop empathy and understanding towards others. It may even help reduce age discrimination. Some Community (people living in an area) members have expressed health concerns. However, manager (person in charge) of Toronto's early childhood education facilities, Mansour Jalali, argues that their centers have not seen any significant increase in illnesses because careful sanitation measures are taken. Participants must use hand sanitizers before and after activities and the center has disinfectant protocols in place for the daycare and residential centers.
- A) range of activities for children.
- B) sense of respect toward elders.
- C) life expectancy for seniors.
- D) immune system for children.
Part 4 - Listening to a News Item
Audio 031 - News Item
A new daycare is set to open at Mayfair Seniors Residence this month. The concept, although not new in Canada, is the first of its kind in Saskatchewan. In fact, the city of Toronto has been running combined facilities for over 25 years with tremendous success. The combined care centers are intended to foster intergenerational interaction among the children and the seniors. Psychologist Linda Rogers says there are benefits for both parties. On the one hand, seniors are encouraged to socialize and get moving by participating in activities with the children, which are supervised and organized by licensed professionals. Other potential health benefits for seniors include lower levels of depression and slower cognitive decline. For the children, Rogers says it's an opportunity to develop empathy and understanding towards others. It may even help reduce age discrimination. Some Community (people living in an area) members have expressed health concerns. However, manager (person in charge) of Toronto's early childhood education facilities, Mansour Jalali, argues that their centers have not seen any significant increase in illnesses because careful sanitation measures are taken. Participants must use hand sanitizers before and after activities and the center has disinfectant protocols in place for the daycare and residential centers.
- A) type of activities.
- B) lack of research.
- C) kind of interaction.
- D) spread of germs.
Part 4 - Listening to a News Item
Audio 031 - News Item
A new daycare is set to open at Mayfair Seniors Residence this month. The concept, although not new in Canada, is the first of its kind in Saskatchewan. In fact, the city of Toronto has been running combined facilities for over 25 years with tremendous success. The combined care centers are intended to foster intergenerational interaction among the children and the seniors. Psychologist Linda Rogers says there are benefits for both parties. On the one hand, seniors are encouraged to socialize and get moving by participating in activities with the children, which are supervised and organized by licensed professionals. Other potential health benefits for seniors include lower levels of depression and slower cognitive decline. For the children, Rogers says it's an opportunity to develop empathy and understanding towards others. It may even help reduce age discrimination. Some Community (people living in an area) members have expressed health concerns. However, manager (person in charge) of Toronto's early childhood education facilities, Mansour Jalali, argues that their centers have not seen any significant increase in illnesses because careful sanitation measures are taken. Participants must use hand sanitizers before and after activities and the center has disinfectant protocols in place for the daycare and residential centers.
- A) parents of young children.
- B) childhood development experts.
- C) seniors’ facility workers.
- D) families of the resident seniors.
Part 4 - Listening to a News Item
Audio 031 - News Item
A new daycare is set to open at Mayfair Seniors Residence this month. The concept, although not new in Canada, is the first of its kind in Saskatchewan. In fact, the city of Toronto has been running combined facilities for over 25 years with tremendous success. The combined care centers are intended to foster intergenerational interaction among the children and the seniors. Psychologist Linda Rogers says there are benefits for both parties. On the one hand, seniors are encouraged to socialize and get moving by participating in activities with the children, which are supervised and organized by licensed professionals. Other potential health benefits for seniors include lower levels of depression and slower cognitive decline. For the children, Rogers says it's an opportunity to develop empathy and understanding towards others. It may even help reduce age discrimination. Some Community (people living in an area) members have expressed health concerns. However, manager (person in charge) of Toronto's early childhood education facilities, Mansour Jalali, argues that their centers have not seen any significant increase in illnesses because careful sanitation measures are taken. Participants must use hand sanitizers before and after activities and the center has disinfectant protocols in place for the daycare and residential centers.
- A) It gets lost and misplaced in the system.
- B) Its handling costs are too high to sustain.
- C) It is often delivered to the wrong floor.
- D) Its expected arrival time is often delayed.
- A) a financial incentive
- B) a shared burden
- C) better organization
- D) updated technology
- A) No, Human Resources refused for no reason.
- B) No, the firm will automate mail handling instead.
- C) Yes, if the personnel unit reverses its decision.
- D) Yes, just to process the packages and parcels.
- A) They are not available yet.
- B) They are too expensive.
- C) They can get lost in big offices.
- D) They sometimes stop working.
- A) Deborah would not agree to it.
- B) It would cost too much.
- C) It would have mixed results.
- D) Staff would find it complicated.
- A) His colleagues are clumsy.
- B) His colleagues are lazy.
- C) The chairs are old.
- D) The chairs are uncomfortable.
- A) optimism
- B) helplessness
- C) resignation
- D) surprise
- A) a solution for all mail
- B) a solution for external mail only
- C) a solution for internal mail only
- D) no solution at all
- A) first-born children.
- B) middle children.
- C) last-born children.
- D) only children.
Part 6 - Listening for Viewpoints
Audio 032 - Viewpoints Talk
You've probably heard the theory: Firstborn children are reliable, middle children are sociable, lastborns crave the spotlight, and "onlies" are lonely. These notions, some would say stereotypes, arise from decades of research and form the backbone of hundreds of self-help and parenting books. The only problem: the notion that birth order affects personality is increasingly regarded by scientists as pure nonsense. One such expert is Dr. William Trager of McGill University. He points to two recent international studies that turned up zero correlation between birth order and personality trait development. Trager says past studies that posited a link between birth order and personality were fatally flawed. One blunder, says Trager, was that researchers confounded their subject's birth order with their chronological age at the time of the study. For example, suppose an eldest child, 16-year-old Frank, was subjectively described by family members as reliable compared to his youngest sibling, 10-year-old Timmy. Researchers concluded that Frank's reliability arose from the fact that he was first born. However, had the researchers come back 6 years later and repeated the questionnaire, Trager said, they probably would have found that Timmy, by then 16 years old himself, would be rated as equally reliable despite being the youngest. For Trager, continued belief in these theories is an indication of people's desires trumping their ability to reason. Despite these findings, Kirsten Grenville, CEO of Global Publishing, says books on birth order theory have propelled a raft of popular psychologists and parenting experts to the top of the bestseller charts. For Grenville, the issue isn't whether or not birth order theory is scientifically valid; the issue rather is whether or not it sells product, and sell it does. Consumers' seemingly insatiable appetite for these books, says Grenville, stems from the fact that almost everyone has an instinctive sense that birth order theories are true, whether or not they really are. People read these descriptions of sibling relationship dynamics and they think, "Yeah, that is true for me". Maybe the descriptions are like horoscopes, general enough that almost everyone can find something to agree with. Also, even if birth order doesn't scientifically correlate with personality trait development, there are certainly enough personal anecdotes, feelings, and hunches to suggest otherwise. So, can we finally put to rest this notion that birth order matters from a scientific perspective? Dr. Trager's response would be a qualified no. While personality may not be affected, birth order does appear to impact intelligence. Dr. Trager says studies have proven that compared to their siblings, firstborns are smarter on average by a full IQ point.
- A) different personality traits due to their birth order.
- B) characteristics that can be challenging for parents.
- C) different reliability ratings due to different IQ scores.
- D) personality traits that develop throughout childhood.
Part 6 - Listening for Viewpoints
Audio 032 - Viewpoints Talk
You've probably heard the theory: Firstborn children are reliable, middle children are sociable, lastborns crave the spotlight, and "onlies" are lonely. These notions, some would say stereotypes, arise from decades of research and form the backbone of hundreds of self-help and parenting books. The only problem: the notion that birth order affects personality is increasingly regarded by scientists as pure nonsense. One such expert is Dr. William Trager of McGill University. He points to two recent international studies that turned up zero correlation between birth order and personality trait development. Trager says past studies that posited a link between birth order and personality were fatally flawed. One blunder, says Trager, was that researchers confounded their subject's birth order with their chronological age at the time of the study. For example, suppose an eldest child, 16-year-old Frank, was subjectively described by family members as reliable compared to his youngest sibling, 10-year-old Timmy. Researchers concluded that Frank's reliability arose from the fact that he was first born. However, had the researchers come back 6 years later and repeated the questionnaire, Trager said, they probably would have found that Timmy, by then 16 years old himself, would be rated as equally reliable despite being the youngest. For Trager, continued belief in these theories is an indication of people's desires trumping their ability to reason. Despite these findings, Kirsten Grenville, CEO of Global Publishing, says books on birth order theory have propelled a raft of popular psychologists and parenting experts to the top of the bestseller charts. For Grenville, the issue isn't whether or not birth order theory is scientifically valid; the issue rather is whether or not it sells product, and sell it does. Consumers' seemingly insatiable appetite for these books, says Grenville, stems from the fact that almost everyone has an instinctive sense that birth order theories are true, whether or not they really are. People read these descriptions of sibling relationship dynamics and they think, "Yeah, that is true for me". Maybe the descriptions are like horoscopes, general enough that almost everyone can find something to agree with. Also, even if birth order doesn't scientifically correlate with personality trait development, there are certainly enough personal anecdotes, feelings, and hunches to suggest otherwise. So, can we finally put to rest this notion that birth order matters from a scientific perspective? Dr. Trager's response would be a qualified no. While personality may not be affected, birth order does appear to impact intelligence. Dr. Trager says studies have proven that compared to their siblings, firstborns are smarter on average by a full IQ point.
- A) evolving.
- B) declining.
- C) profitable.
- D) scientific.
Part 6 - Listening for Viewpoints
Audio 032 - Viewpoints Talk
You've probably heard the theory: Firstborn children are reliable, middle children are sociable, lastborns crave the spotlight, and "onlies" are lonely. These notions, some would say stereotypes, arise from decades of research and form the backbone of hundreds of self-help and parenting books. The only problem: the notion that birth order affects personality is increasingly regarded by scientists as pure nonsense. One such expert is Dr. William Trager of McGill University. He points to two recent international studies that turned up zero correlation between birth order and personality trait development. Trager says past studies that posited a link between birth order and personality were fatally flawed. One blunder, says Trager, was that researchers confounded their subject's birth order with their chronological age at the time of the study. For example, suppose an eldest child, 16-year-old Frank, was subjectively described by family members as reliable compared to his youngest sibling, 10-year-old Timmy. Researchers concluded that Frank's reliability arose from the fact that he was first born. However, had the researchers come back 6 years later and repeated the questionnaire, Trager said, they probably would have found that Timmy, by then 16 years old himself, would be rated as equally reliable despite being the youngest. For Trager, continued belief in these theories is an indication of people's desires trumping their ability to reason. Despite these findings, Kirsten Grenville, CEO of Global Publishing, says books on birth order theory have propelled a raft of popular psychologists and parenting experts to the top of the bestseller charts. For Grenville, the issue isn't whether or not birth order theory is scientifically valid; the issue rather is whether or not it sells product, and sell it does. Consumers' seemingly insatiable appetite for these books, says Grenville, stems from the fact that almost everyone has an instinctive sense that birth order theories are true, whether or not they really are. People read these descriptions of sibling relationship dynamics and they think, "Yeah, that is true for me". Maybe the descriptions are like horoscopes, general enough that almost everyone can find something to agree with. Also, even if birth order doesn't scientifically correlate with personality trait development, there are certainly enough personal anecdotes, feelings, and hunches to suggest otherwise. So, can we finally put to rest this notion that birth order matters from a scientific perspective? Dr. Trager's response would be a qualified no. While personality may not be affected, birth order does appear to impact intelligence. Dr. Trager says studies have proven that compared to their siblings, firstborns are smarter on average by a full IQ point.
- A) explore theories of intelligence.
- B) foretell events using astrology.
- C) present proven scientific facts.
- D) validate their own intuitions.
Part 6 - Listening for Viewpoints
Audio 032 - Viewpoints Talk
You've probably heard the theory: Firstborn children are reliable, middle children are sociable, lastborns crave the spotlight, and "onlies" are lonely. These notions, some would say stereotypes, arise from decades of research and form the backbone of hundreds of self-help and parenting books. The only problem: the notion that birth order affects personality is increasingly regarded by scientists as pure nonsense. One such expert is Dr. William Trager of McGill University. He points to two recent international studies that turned up zero correlation between birth order and personality trait development. Trager says past studies that posited a link between birth order and personality were fatally flawed. One blunder, says Trager, was that researchers confounded their subject's birth order with their chronological age at the time of the study. For example, suppose an eldest child, 16-year-old Frank, was subjectively described by family members as reliable compared to his youngest sibling, 10-year-old Timmy. Researchers concluded that Frank's reliability arose from the fact that he was first born. However, had the researchers come back 6 years later and repeated the questionnaire, Trager said, they probably would have found that Timmy, by then 16 years old himself, would be rated as equally reliable despite being the youngest. For Trager, continued belief in these theories is an indication of people's desires trumping their ability to reason. Despite these findings, Kirsten Grenville, CEO of Global Publishing, says books on birth order theory have propelled a raft of popular psychologists and parenting experts to the top of the bestseller charts. For Grenville, the issue isn't whether or not birth order theory is scientifically valid; the issue rather is whether or not it sells product, and sell it does. Consumers' seemingly insatiable appetite for these books, says Grenville, stems from the fact that almost everyone has an instinctive sense that birth order theories are true, whether or not they really are. People read these descriptions of sibling relationship dynamics and they think, "Yeah, that is true for me". Maybe the descriptions are like horoscopes, general enough that almost everyone can find something to agree with. Also, even if birth order doesn't scientifically correlate with personality trait development, there are certainly enough personal anecdotes, feelings, and hunches to suggest otherwise. So, can we finally put to rest this notion that birth order matters from a scientific perspective? Dr. Trager's response would be a qualified no. While personality may not be affected, birth order does appear to impact intelligence. Dr. Trager says studies have proven that compared to their siblings, firstborns are smarter on average by a full IQ point.
- A) needs to be more scientific research on this topic.
- B) is something people find appealing about this topic.
- C) are more parents gaining interest in this topic.
- D) are better books coming out about this topic.
Part 6 - Listening for Viewpoints
Audio 032 - Viewpoints Talk
You've probably heard the theory: Firstborn children are reliable, middle children are sociable, lastborns crave the spotlight, and "onlies" are lonely. These notions, some would say stereotypes, arise from decades of research and form the backbone of hundreds of self-help and parenting books. The only problem: the notion that birth order affects personality is increasingly regarded by scientists as pure nonsense. One such expert is Dr. William Trager of McGill University. He points to two recent international studies that turned up zero correlation between birth order and personality trait development. Trager says past studies that posited a link between birth order and personality were fatally flawed. One blunder, says Trager, was that researchers confounded their subject's birth order with their chronological age at the time of the study. For example, suppose an eldest child, 16-year-old Frank, was subjectively described by family members as reliable compared to his youngest sibling, 10-year-old Timmy. Researchers concluded that Frank's reliability arose from the fact that he was first born. However, had the researchers come back 6 years later and repeated the questionnaire, Trager said, they probably would have found that Timmy, by then 16 years old himself, would be rated as equally reliable despite being the youngest. For Trager, continued belief in these theories is an indication of people's desires trumping their ability to reason. Despite these findings, Kirsten Grenville, CEO of Global Publishing, says books on birth order theory have propelled a raft of popular psychologists and parenting experts to the top of the bestseller charts. For Grenville, the issue isn't whether or not birth order theory is scientifically valid; the issue rather is whether or not it sells product, and sell it does. Consumers' seemingly insatiable appetite for these books, says Grenville, stems from the fact that almost everyone has an instinctive sense that birth order theories are true, whether or not they really are. People read these descriptions of sibling relationship dynamics and they think, "Yeah, that is true for me". Maybe the descriptions are like horoscopes, general enough that almost everyone can find something to agree with. Also, even if birth order doesn't scientifically correlate with personality trait development, there are certainly enough personal anecdotes, feelings, and hunches to suggest otherwise. So, can we finally put to rest this notion that birth order matters from a scientific perspective? Dr. Trager's response would be a qualified no. While personality may not be affected, birth order does appear to impact intelligence. Dr. Trager says studies have proven that compared to their siblings, firstborns are smarter on average by a full IQ point.
- A) limited scientific foundations.
- B) never been scientifically investigated.
- C) never been explained by folklore.
- D) links with major marketing scams.
Part 6 - Listening for Viewpoints
Audio 032 - Viewpoints Talk
You've probably heard the theory: Firstborn children are reliable, middle children are sociable, lastborns crave the spotlight, and "onlies" are lonely. These notions, some would say stereotypes, arise from decades of research and form the backbone of hundreds of self-help and parenting books. The only problem: the notion that birth order affects personality is increasingly regarded by scientists as pure nonsense. One such expert is Dr. William Trager of McGill University. He points to two recent international studies that turned up zero correlation between birth order and personality trait development. Trager says past studies that posited a link between birth order and personality were fatally flawed. One blunder, says Trager, was that researchers confounded their subject's birth order with their chronological age at the time of the study. For example, suppose an eldest child, 16-year-old Frank, was subjectively described by family members as reliable compared to his youngest sibling, 10-year-old Timmy. Researchers concluded that Frank's reliability arose from the fact that he was first born. However, had the researchers come back 6 years later and repeated the questionnaire, Trager said, they probably would have found that Timmy, by then 16 years old himself, would be rated as equally reliable despite being the youngest. For Trager, continued belief in these theories is an indication of people's desires trumping their ability to reason. Despite these findings, Kirsten Grenville, CEO of Global Publishing, says books on birth order theory have propelled a raft of popular psychologists and parenting experts to the top of the bestseller charts. For Grenville, the issue isn't whether or not birth order theory is scientifically valid; the issue rather is whether or not it sells product, and sell it does. Consumers' seemingly insatiable appetite for these books, says Grenville, stems from the fact that almost everyone has an instinctive sense that birth order theories are true, whether or not they really are. People read these descriptions of sibling relationship dynamics and they think, "Yeah, that is true for me". Maybe the descriptions are like horoscopes, general enough that almost everyone can find something to agree with. Also, even if birth order doesn't scientifically correlate with personality trait development, there are certainly enough personal anecdotes, feelings, and hunches to suggest otherwise. So, can we finally put to rest this notion that birth order matters from a scientific perspective? Dr. Trager's response would be a qualified no. While personality may not be affected, birth order does appear to impact intelligence. Dr. Trager says studies have proven that compared to their siblings, firstborns are smarter on average by a full IQ point.