Changing Perspectives in the Study of Children: Comparison between Research and Popular Literature

Abstract

To observe trends and compare research interests in child psychology and concerns of lay people whose work involves children, topical analyses were made of two scientific journals ( Child Development, and the Journal of Educational Psychology) and two popular publications ( Children Today, and the Instructor). All articles between January, 1955 and December, 1975 were assigned to one of 20 categories which emerged as the major classifications for the content of the four journals: Adult/Teacher; Assessment; Behaviorism; Cognition, Cross-culture; Curriculum; Day Care, Disadvantage; Education; Exceptionality; Family; Health; Methods; Personality and Affect; Psychobiology; Research; Services and Welfare; Setting of Standards; Social Development; Youth. Based on the annual frequencies of every category, trends and changing emphases in each journal over the past two decades were delineated, and professional and lay concerns were contrasted. Major interests shared by both professional journals were Cognition and Personality and Affect, while the lay publications shared Exceptionality. Of the highest priorities in the professional journals, Personality and Affect were among the strongest interests found in the Instructor, and Family was among the top in Children Today. Inquiry into Personality and Affect dropped in the reviews of the second decade in both kinds of publications, while Cognition dominated research between 1963 and 1975. Over-all, most interest of the lay publications did not parallel the research problems of the scientists. It was concluded that articles written by lay persons make relatively little use of research.