Citation

Dealey CE. J. Abnorm. Psychol. Soc. Psychology 1923; 18(2): 125-136.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1923, R.G. Badger)

DOI

10.1037/h0065329

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This investigation was undertaken to discover, if possible, the reasons for maladjustment in the early grades and to study the fundamental conditions which cause children to become misfits in school and probably later in life. The author proposed to study a group of children in the kindergarten, the first and second grades as individuals, to analyze their background and to examine their present home conditions. Such information, she felt, would throw light upon many of the factors really influencing the behavior of the "problem child," and might in addition help to eliminate or prevent future maladjustments. In general a "problem" child would be one whose heredity showed some degree of abnormality. Adults in his family would not observe the fundamental rules of proper habit formation, on account of ignorance or lack of understanding of the child. Either he would receive entirely too much attention or he would be neglected. In school such conditions instead of being alleviated would be increased, and the child would develop unsocial habits. Outstanding features of this child's behavior would be extreme sensitivity and timidity, or an overdeveloped affectionate nature, or extreme talkativeness in an effort to attract attention to himself. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)