Arnold Gesell
Sage & Megan
Background
Born: June 21, 1880
Studied Psychology, Education and Medicine at many different University in the US.
Died: May 29, 1961
One of the first psychologists to describe children’s physical, social, and emotional achievements through a study of human development from birth to adolescence.
Gesell concluded that mental and physical development in infants, children, and adolescents have comparable processes.
Theory
Each child learns and develops at different paces even thought they may be the same age. Pacing is influenced by internal and external factors such as genetics,physical and emotional development and also parenting style and environmental peers.
Example
- Motor characteristics. These include bodily activity, eyes, and hands.
- Personal hygiene. These include eating,sleeping,bathing and clothing yourself
- Emotional expression such as anger,fear,sadness,joy and being surprised
- Fears and dreams.
- Self and sex.
- Interpersonal relations. These include playing with other children or with a parent or guardian
- Play and pastimes such as hobbies and interest in sports
- School life such as reading and writing skills
- Ethical sense. These include blaming and alibiing; response to direction, punishment, praise; response to reason; sense of good and bad; and truth and property.
- Philosophic outlook. These include time, space, language and thought, war, death, and deity.
Dome
a one way-mirror shaped as a dome, under which children could be observed without being disturbed
Amala and Kamala
Two girls from Bengal, India, who were believed to have been raised by a wolf family. Gesell studied the girls and how they are different from average children
Observations
Gesell observing a child's actions.
Work Cite
"Arnold Lucius Gesell." Dictionary of American Biography. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons,
1981. N. pag. U.S. History in Context. Web. 4 Apr. 2016.
"Arnold Gesell Biography and Theory of Child Development." Study.com. Jennifer Jurling, n.d. Web. 06 Apr. 2016.