Child psychology

Abstract

Reviews the books, Child psychology by George D. Stoddard and Beth L. Wellman (1934); and Child psychology by John J. B. Morgan (1934). The only point of similarity between these two books is the title. In organization, content and point-of-view they are as different as two books with the same title could well be. To most readers of this review, Morgan's book is familiar in its first edition. The new edition has been enlarged somewhat by the discussion of recent literature. But in this respect it suffers when the 280 footnotes, many of which are not references, are compared to the 493 references given in Stoddard and Wellman's bibliography. In spite of this, this revision is as useful as its predecessor as an elementary presentation from a child-training point of view that would be useful for parents, social workers, or others concerned with the care and training of children. Consideration of Stoddard and Wellman's new volume presents an entirely different picture of child psychology. Here is an attempt, which ranks high among all of the recent attempts, to integrate the literature of this vast, bewildering field. Stylistically, the book is tiring because in many parts whole pages are essentially a series of abstracts. Yet there appears to have been a nice selection of material to be included, and no section or chapter is left without an integrating discussion. So you pay your money and you make your choice: Morgan for the art of child training, Stoddard and Wellman for the science of child psychology. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)