A handbook of child psychology, Vol 1 (2nd rev. ed.).Origin and prenatal growth of behavior.

Abstract

In a complete consideration of child or genetic psychology the question may appropriately be asked, "How does the mind originate in the individual and how does it grow before birth?" Or, possibly more exactly, "What is the origin and embryology of those characteristics of the living individual that are ordinarily considered as significant for psychology?" In this chapter an effort will be made to deal with these questions, in so far as the present status of scientific investigation makes it possible to answer them. In answering them, certain facts will be presented which have a direct bearing upon an understanding of human mental life at any age, when mental life is considered as made up of natural processes. The topics discussed in this chapter include: the genetic method in psychology with especial reference to prenatal life; the development of behavior in the lower vertebrates; the development of behavior in the embryos of birds; the development of prenatal behavior in the infrahuman mammal; general aspects of human fetal development; non-operative studies of behavioral development in the human fetus; the study of behavior in oeratively removed human fetuses; and the special senses in human prenatal life. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved)