NATURE AND NURTURE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 722, 22 January 1910, Page 15

NATURE AND NURTURE.

EXPERIMENTS 'IN CHILD STUDY;; INSiTBUOtIVB'''SCHEDULE. !; : :;. To provide, '"material / for studying the life of the child in relation to its hdme environment.'; a,':. yery interesting experiment .is -being .tried, i says i the" London "Daily News. ■■■■.':.;'.; •'.; ..'.:.■• ■.■.■. . -"V .'•■■ "In their ■.efforts. , ! to the kaowT ledge of. child life, the Child Study Sooiety have secured.-the aid ;of Professor Karl Pearson, of University College.'Londonj who has 'drafted'. a,- eohedule for studying the. faotors .'that. influence the social , life of the : ohild.'JThe 'sohedule "appliesmore. directly, to ; theL "upper ( ' mid-': die,; or professional classes," .mi .the details are. to be -.filled -"in by., the heads.of ■families'. :>•'":. '.'■ ■-•' :■ :;--.■: •'■.'".'.'■ :■■ ■::'■'•'..-',"■■>'■ ■ ■ '■■.

''By means v it this ■ schedule," lernarked pr.-HeronlCwho ha's/assis'te'd Professor Pearson:.-inV;drawing riip'.', the: scheme), to a .'representative, or, the.' "Daily. Nows," "ive have,-if possible,: to discover, the.'eitent/to whiohi-.nature;.and;;nurture,'fe-spoctively contribute', to the.' character of :the child. The. series'of Questions in the schedule.' will; elicit- information' regarding .. thp .home. life, Pastes; and' of the parents, and the relationship.between the tw6'; arid then.'by;statistical analysis, 1 we want to: discover .whether or; no these things have any influence \on' the : . child.ren.<.'-;---. V:f : ''\ ". •.,■•.■•.:, ; : -.v-

•'■••: 'So' far ■as we have gone 'we have; found. , that the,' nothal oiivirdnmeiit •of the child isvor .comparatively :litUe! importance; as compared . with.; hereditary .. influences. ; This, v.of course, has been:.■ judged, only from a'few casos jt now wo wish toextond ■them.";.-; vi - ,; ;:; '.-''-I: '/: ■:"'•:•;•: ■•: '~}y >,'■■.. ,'■': '■•.' Question of,; Heredity., ; • .".:. -.■■:- The schedule ■ is divided' 1 into .throe sec-; '. tiotts, . arid ' data' " are requir"ed •of , the Father's,, mother's, .and child's.habits and oustpnis.,; In; the,father's section'information) is asked fdr ; regarding:those who' ■prefer ■ spending their, leisure 'at' hbme, reading arid Kistorioai works,; for;instance, to thC'ruoreaotiVe forinei'of , social- Hfftl. 'ilf the' fatWif;.. is ;Md; ; 'of ;nitui'al history, >pf ooUeoting : of ■ nieQhaiiiOftl ' work,' '.yaoiiting, .or ' climbingi' ■ this ■should; be entered.--: It:"is''desirable: also, to; elicit whether haveT'comd iii' contact .with. ,n\ few L .-;spocial,....family. friettds,;or ',vrith .a' wido. .range of- acquaintdnces.forining.part,or thd'very full life' of ( sdino:parcn'ts.V'i .;-:'-4:i ;-. : ' '■■•'\ s ■■:" ': Very ■; similar, '.data' are'■required ; from the ; mother's Bectioh..;;The' ; quostions -relating ;:.t6. tho tirno ; usually:. spent -with children ate considered■'•„ important—"in , oharge," .-.''as- ; teaoher;"v.''ori. : "as .com-; 'phnion;" •;; Some of,, the \ heads.;: .under Tfliichi!information-.'is 'required are .m----.teresting:;-'i.;,--!;-'.';::■.■'■'•;:';■:•■■ .--'jrV-'i ..■■'.■-•: •■;; ; ;- ; -' ! -"-;'' 'Father: :; - :■/. } -':;;" '','■ "Mother.- ■;; ; ' :, •Profession.:.;..' '- : '';;. Pursuits. .<. >':■:".;"■» ■Tiiri'e'with children. .Instrumental inusio. ■■:■' Hobbies. :; ;; ;'..:' Singing, i... . ■ :.: Games'.'.- ; ';,' 1 . ! -.-. ■.".'Eeadiiig.-" : v.•:■.■■..:.■:' • Reading.',..' ■ ■'..-..,:, .■',' Artistic:. ":''■■''■, '..'■'•■■ . Marked,.'talent.., V ,'Circle'of friends.; ''•:'■.- Fondof'amusenientS.Thearres. .:'.'-;■.• -.■•; >;:;■; ;.' Oduntry ,life.;;>-,-.'...',.-'■ -.', .With regard to the : father, ; information.'is':-' also, desired' as to -whether -he, '& o(>; 'oupisd. .with,'social,'' pdlitio'al;;"municipal," lite'rary.^oy/pKilosophvo'worK;,,:';..,;.;. .; '■;;>■!';''■,.-..;.Data for .Prof r; Pearson.'./';;: i<! Xv ilii the " ohiidren'a section.:much..'rao're data,.is..desired;"'-rOne : ;'of, the "chief fiipihts is; to'.shdw/.-when the- nursery- Ufoi-pegan.i arid , ended, : : or? whether }Te]atives or - per-' sbnal' friends • had-.rauch.-jnfluenco '■> in-? the e.uly ■life-.bf ■•■tho 'child;\' General" health shotild 1)9 carefully ■ considered' and stated." This may -be!'inoas'ured. : ;by-'the need for i special:. food,- J schooling,' ; or ; holidays,■-' by: absence .from..'school;.;or :,much'.medical: '0are...':. : ,. : '''". ; ;.. ! .'.'.' •■'...■'-;':i''f: ; V.. ; .\ V-.:' .-.,''■'; ~;,••■■'.•,■. ■ .Something may be learnt, it is, stated, .by , observing vrhethor the child strongly objects f .to: enforced-, absence,- seems depressed '.; at returning to school, -is. keen or; the reverse dn : school .social life.- Many noteworthy ni'en; whoso- .childhood! was saddened'.by.school, life would no- doubt, find school antipathetic, but

the; dislike' to: common life ,and, to: the routine ''suited:'to" - the . average' : : healthy child would still have existed. This.qnes-* Hon. is : ; intended,;if -possible, to. discover the'extent. , of .anti-soTiool; feeling amongthechildren, of to-day,-■'.'• : ■ / .;y. ■ ... 'Among, other .details to be filled , are, replies , to, the following .questions:,': i :-Are pets.-keptP.'', '•;':'■'■.' ;,.'; ■/'■/'" theVohild -play: without suHJestlon from : Othersi.'-pr .with? v ' .- - '-';-f;"s : >;. : .'■■.■'. ■Is' the child too shy -"to play with; oftorsf:;:, , ;v v '.;-,v\v':,:.-.; ■; Which meals are "taken .with 1 parents ? • :i)oe3.the..ohild:.write stories?..••';■','■;-. ■■■''.'■'■ i .Does'- the ohild "aot" or sing' to hinir self, or : herself P.;;;!";;": , ' ■. .-. s ■•■:.•.;■ y- ; --- '..Professor, . ; Pearson ! will report on the" resnlts to a-'conference-which, will be' held in May.'- i His - conclusions should be of an'exceedingly s interesting nature.:: : ,