The impact of birth order on attachment style was examined in emerging adults through the use of Kaiser’s bird nest drawing (1996); an art therapy assessment tool in conjunction with Simpson’s Attachment Index (1990). Due to the small sample size (n=45) distributed across three birth orders (oldest/only, middle, youngest) the findings were unable to yield statistical significance. The KBND when used in comparison with the AI was able to accurately determine attachment style. The drawings produced by each ordinal group exhibited traits that have been attributed to their ordinal position in the family constellation. The statistical trends found in previous bird’s nests studies in regards to themes, image elements, image situation, image composition, and image coloration was evident in this study.
","abstract_html":"<p>The impact of birth order on attachment style was examined in emerging adults through the use of Kaiser’s bird nest drawing (1996); an art therapy assessment tool in conjunction with Simpson’s Attachment Index (1990). Due to the small sample size (n=45) distributed across three birth orders (oldest/only, middle, youngest) the findings were unable to yield statistical significance. The KBND when used in comparison with the AI was able to accurately determine attachment style. The drawings produced by each ordinal group exhibited traits that have been attributed to their ordinal position in the family constellation. The statistical trends found in previous bird’s nests studies in regards to themes, image elements, image situation, image composition, and image coloration was evident in this study.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Bell, Megan Renee"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy","degree_level":"Master's Thesis","degree_discipline":"Art Therapy","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Jennifer Myers Harrison, PsyD, ATR-BC","Lynnaia Keune, MFT, ATR-BC"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2016,"date_issued":"2016-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2016-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:04:51Z","subjects":["Art Therapy","Birth Order","Emerging Adulthood","Attachment","Art and Design","Counseling Psychology"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholar.dominican.edu/art-therapy-electronic-theses-2015-2021/7","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Jennifer Myers Harrison, PsyD, ATR-BC","Lynnaia Keune, MFT, ATR-BC"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Bell, Megan Renee"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Art Therapy"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Master's Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Art Therapy","Birth Order","Emerging Adulthood","Attachment","Art and Design","Counseling Psychology"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholar.dominican.edu/art-therapy-electronic-theses-2015-2021/7"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The impact of birth order on attachment style was examined in emerging adults through the use of Kaiser’s bird nest drawing (1996); an art therapy assessment tool in conjunction with Simpson’s Attachment Index (1990). Due to the small sample size (n=45) distributed across three birth orders (oldest/only, middle, youngest) the findings were unable to yield statistical significance. The KBND when used in comparison with the AI was able to accurately determine attachment style. The drawings produced by each ordinal group exhibited traits that have been attributed to their ordinal position in the family constellation. The statistical trends found in previous bird’s nests studies in regards to themes, image elements, image situation, image composition, and image coloration was evident in this study.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["In the Bird's Nest: Birth Orders Influence on the Art"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Jennifer Myers Harrison, PsyD, ATR-BC","Lynnaia Keune, MFT, ATR-BC"],"dc:creator":["Bell, Megan Renee"],"dc:description.abstract":["The impact of birth order on attachment style was examined in emerging adults through the use of Kaiser’s bird nest drawing (1996); an art therapy assessment tool in conjunction with Simpson’s Attachment Index (1990). Due to the small sample size (n=45) distributed across three birth orders (oldest/only, middle, youngest) the findings were unable to yield statistical significance. The KBND when used in comparison with the AI was able to accurately determine attachment style. The drawings produced by each ordinal group exhibited traits that have been attributed to their ordinal position in the family constellation. The statistical trends found in previous bird’s nests studies in regards to themes, image elements, image situation, image composition, and image coloration was evident in this study.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholar.dominican.edu/art-therapy-electronic-theses-2015-2021/7"],"dc:subject":["Art Therapy","Birth Order","Emerging Adulthood","Attachment","Art and Design","Counseling Psychology"],"dc:title":["In the Bird's Nest: Birth Orders Influence on the Art"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Art Therapy"],"thesis:degree_level":["Master's Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:04:51Z"}