The relative age effect refers to the tendency for children born near an age cut-off date to experience advantages in athletic and academic contexts. Early birth within this period is often linked with higher physical development, while those born later may encounter challenges due to relatively lower physical, emotional, and cognitive maturity.
Research indicates that individuals born in earlier quartiles are more likely to participate consistently in sports, as they can excel in physical bouts and activities. This suggests that as time goes on those who are less mature drop out of sports as they are not as successful, motivated, or fulfilled by the experience in their younger years.
While it is clear that a relative age effect exists, quantifying its impact on a child’s overall development during their early years can be quite challenging. For example, children born just days apart—such as August 28th and September 1st—can be assigned to different academic years in England, potentially affecting their experiences and outcomes. Therefore, it is important to consider the relative age effect when identifying talent in both sports and education, in order to address potential cases of under- or over-performance.
Ultimately, taking the relative age effect into account is important when evaluating children, as differences in biological maturity may be mistaken for true ability.
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