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Measuring Mental Abilities in Infancy

The Value and Limitations

  • Chapter
Origins of Intelligence

Abstract

The development of mental abilities during infancy is impressive and measurable. The pediatrician measures growth in head size, which reflects the growth of the brain. The neuropathologist measures cerebral DNA to estimate cell number and possible damage from malnutrition or other causes (Winick, 1970). The psychologist measures behavioral change by means of careful observations of responses to specific tasks. In this chapter we shall review critically infant tests and their contribution to the understanding of mental growth in the first months of life.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Human Development, University of California, 94720, Berkeley, California, USA

    Marjorie P. Honzik

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  1. Marjorie P. Honzik
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Rutgers Medical School, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA

    Michael Lewis

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Honzik, M.P. (1983). Measuring Mental Abilities in Infancy. In: Lewis, M. (eds) Origins of Intelligence. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0322-8_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0322-8_3

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