Gesell, Arnold L.

Basic Biographical Information

Arnold Gesell was considered one of the leading experts on childhood in his day. Trained in both psychology and medicine, he established normative data for many areas of early development, with a particular emphasis on motor development. His theory of development placed a heavy emphasis on maturation, that is, an innate timetable of growth and development. Although much of his normative data is still used by childhood professionals, his approach was later eclipsed by more dynamic theories.

Gesell was born in Alma, Wisconsin on June 21, 1880. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1903 and worked for a time as a high school teacher and principal. He later enrolled at Clark University to study for a Ph.D. degree in psychology which he received in 1906. His mentor was G. Stanley Hall, one of the founders of developmental psychology. Hall was well-known for his belief that evolutionary principles played a major role in explaining development and...