This study investigated the prediction of recidivism by birth order and family size. Subjects were 204 black, 193 white, and 4 other adult male offenders who completed a 10-item questionnaire during intake classification interviews. Birth-order and family-size categories were formed on the basis of Adlerian theory. Data were analyzed by a priori contrasts. A statistically significant effect was found for the firstborn adult, male offender. It is suggested that birth order is a promising area for future research.
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