Apr 28, 2014 01:36 PM EDT By Staff Reporter, UniversityHerald Reporter

A new research by Feifei Bu at the Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex, reveals that first-born girls are more ambitious, and better qualified, than first-born boys.

Researchers found that these girls have higher aspirations that help them push for higher education levels. They are also 4 percent more likely to accomplish further educational qualifications.

The study also showed that first-born girls were 13 percent more ambitious than first-born boys. "There are several possible explanations for the higher attainment and ambition of the eldest," lead researcher Feifei Bu told The Guardian. "It could be that the parents simply devote more time and energy to them - it could be they are actually more intelligent. For me, I tend to lean towards the theory that parental investment is possibly at work here."

The researchers did not included families with only children or with just twins. They investigated multiple children facilities and focused on the impact of sibling structures on aspirations. Past studies have shown that the first-borns were more likely to get higher qualifications. However, the researchers of this study found that the possible explanation could be the fact that the elder ones are likely to be more ambitious than their younger brothers and sisters.

The study also found that more the gap (at least of 4 years) between the siblings, higher the chances of the children  achieving higher qualifications.

The researchers looked at participants from the British Household Panel Study and its successor, Understanding Society. Keeping factors like economic status and education levels of the parents in mind, the study found that 7 percent of firstborns pursued their education and 16 percent moved on to higher studies than the younger ones.

. "It shows us how educational disparities exist not only between families but also within families," said Bu. "It is interesting that we observe a distinct firstborn advantage in education, even though parents in modern society are more likely to be egalitarian in the way they treat their children."

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