here he may lag. He may show lack of emotional expression, or show emotional dependence on his mother. Intellectually he strides forth with portents of genius . . .
First-born children seem to show more variables and more extremes than any other sibling order (Gesell, 1974, p. 66).
Dr. Gesell theorized that nature has a way of "rebalancing." He reported that some parents said that their children seem to alternate as good, bad, good, bad. He termed this data nature's way of rebalancing.
One of the more recent, and popular, books in the field of birth order psychology is The Birth Order Factor, by Lucille Forer, written with Henry Still. Forer drew upon small-scale studies she made to describe observed birth-order effects, as well as the research of others who supplied substantive results which she integrated with her own clinical observations.
Forer's research and observations covers two areas. The first is the general personality development and characteristics which can be expected from the various birth order positions. The second is individual achieve
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