Mental traits of the children of oil industry workers

Abstract

Children of the workers in one of Michigan's oil fields give no indication of inferiority in physique, mental ability, accomplishment, or character, nor is there any evidence that they are discriminated against in any particular in the public schools they attend. They are freer from physical defects than are the local children. They are rated by their teachers as superior to the local children in study habits, leadership, and adjustment to the social group. They are markedly accelerated in grade placement over the local children on the bases of both life age and informational background. Marked sex differences in teachers' ratings which are found are thought to be due to differences on the part of the teachers rather than to character differences between the sexes. No superiority of accomplishment on the part of the girls was found. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)