Introduces the 1983 SRCD symposium on Martha Muchow, the German child psychologist and associate of William Stern and Heinz Werner at the University of Hamburg. Her work integrates developmental and ecological approaches to the study of children's knowledge of and interaction with their physical surroundings. (Author/SO)

The lineage of developmental psychology has involved three waves of research in the 1890s (Hall), 1930s, and 1960s (Piaget). Over these years, a cooperative knowledge-building process arose, fostered by new journals in the 1930s, in which articles built upon one another and sustained or redirected trains of thought among a community of…

The history of developmental psychology in Canada prior to 1960 is concisely recounted. Discussion begins with an account of the scholarly interests and activities of James Mark Baldwin, who brought modern psychology to Canada, and Frederic Tracy, who objected to child-centered approaches to child rearing. The remainder of the paper focuses on the…

Describes the ideas proposed by James Mark Baldwin which anticipated much of Jean Piaget's work. The goals, genetic approach, and epistemological assumptions underlying Piaget's inquiry into cognitive development found explicit statement in Baldwin's work. Discusses Baldwin's current importance for psychology. (Author/CB)

Reviews the history of the several editions of the "Handbook of Child Psychology" from 1931 to the present. Identifies continuing themes and alterations in theoretical orientation within the field of human development that are found in the handbook's editions. Discusses the strategy behind and the contents of the 1997 edition. (BC)

Provides brief biographical sketch and describes Muchow's research contributions. Discusses the content of her investigation of the environmental experience of a group of urban children and their activities in diverse settings. (Author/SO)

Recounts the career of William L. Stern. Stern developed a personalistic psychology emphasizing the individual's role and the importance of context in development. Stern's contributions to developmental psychology concerned: (1) the tension between activity and reactivity in the developing individual; (2) the exchange between a person and the…

Describes Jean Piaget's transformation of society's conception of childhood thought. Emphasizes the enduring contribution to developmental psychology of Piaget's constructivism, his description of developmental mechanisms, his cognitivism, his explication of structural and functional analysis, and his addressing of epistemological issues and…

Examines the impact of Arnold L. Gesell on developmental psychology. Gesell is best remembered for his developmental norms, acquired from observations of infants and children. Gesell's ideas about maturation have lost favor, but his belief in infants' native abilities is still a dominant theme in theories. (BC)

This paper is as much an attempt to catch some of the flavor of the man Peel as it is an exegesis of his work. It traces his special interests and contributions, especially his experimental extensions of Piaget in the realm of adolescent psychology. (Author/SJL)

Darwin's weak influence on developmental psychology is traced. It is explained by (1) developmentalists' commitment to an ideology of meliorism; (2) conceptual issues relating to ontogeny and phylogeny; and (3) methodological problems. Suggests that developmentalists use evolutionary theory as a heuristic for structuring new research. (BC)

Presents the transcript of a 1973 tape recorded interview with Mark May, who is best known for the studies on cheating he conducted with Hugh Hartshoren in the late 1920s and 1930s. The interview covers May's career and his thoughts about the studies he conducted. (JDH)

Reflects on four aspects of the history of developmental psychology. Notes that the discipline has followed a path from fact collection without theory, to grand theories, to a profusion of minitheories; expanded focus from child to lifespan development; exhibited increased cross-disciplinary interests; and become more sensitive to addressing…

Evaluates John B. Watson's contributions to developmental psychology. Watson's insistence on objective methodology in psychology retains its influence, but his extreme environmentalism has been rejected. His concern with the principles of learning is reflected in the work of Hull and Skinner. (BC)

Documents the impact on America's social policy of developmental psychologist Edward Zigler's knowledge, presence, and advocacy. Describes Zigler's lifetime efforts and his influence on public policy for children's full development including his work for Head Start, the Office of Child Development, and on-the-job training in policymaking. (Author)