Gesell test objects, 1911-1939.

Dr Arnold Gesell test objects

Bell, rattle, cup, five large and six small pine wood blocks, unsigned, United States of America, 1911-1939. These objects are part of test objects used by the developmental psychologist Dr Arnold Gesell, along with a small spool of 16mm film showing line drawing, from the Clinic of Child Behaviour, Yale University, 1911-1961.

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Arnold Gesell (1880-1961) pioneered the study of normal child development. Gesell took ‘normal’ to be healthy children, based on comparison with other children. Gesell put children from newborns to six year-olds through filmed tests using these objects at his Yale clinic for Child Development in the United States. He established behaviour patterns using the observed results. For example, at 15 months a ‘normal’ child will build a tower of two blocks; at four years, a tower of ten.

Measurements:: overall: 65 mm x 300 mm x 250 mm, 0.69 kg

Materials:: paint , tin (metal) , metal (unknown) , pine (wood) , aluminium (metal) and plastic (unidentified)

Object Number:: 1993-1458/1

type:: rattle , cup , bell - idiophone and child development test object

Image ©: The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

bell

Small metal bell with wooden handle, one of the test objects used by the developmental psychologist Dr Arnold Gesell, from the Clinic of Child Behaviour, Yale University, 1911-1961.

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This item was used by the American developmental psychologist and physician Dr Arnold Gesell (1880-1961) in his Clinic of Child Development at Yale University, Connecticut, United States. Gesell studied hundreds of children to chart the normal stages of child development. His work was the basis of the routine testing of children by healthcare workers and it was also used to match up children with adoptive parents.

Materials:: wood (unidentified) and metal (unknown)

Object Number:: 1993-1458/1/1

type:: bell

Image ©: The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Part of:: 1993-1458/1

rattle

Metal rattle with wooden handle, one of the test objects used by the developmental psychologist Dr Arnold Gesell, from the Clinic of Child Behaviour, Yale University, 1911-1961.

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This item was used by the American developmental psychologist and physician Dr Arnold Gesell (1880-1961) in his Clinic of Child Development at Yale University, Connecticut, United States. Gesell studied hundreds of children to chart the normal stages of child development. His work was the basis of the routine testing of children by healthcare workers and it was also used to match up children with adoptive parents.

Materials:: wood (unidentified) , metal (unknown) and plastic (unidentified)

Object Number:: 1993-1458/1/2

type:: rattle

Image ©: The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Part of:: 1993-1458/1

cup

Small metal cup, one of the test objects used by the developmental psychologist Dr Arnold Gesell, from the Clinic of Child Behaviour, Yale University, 1911-1961.

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This item was used by the American developmental psychologist and physician Dr Arnold Gesell (1880-1961) in his Clinic of Child Development at Yale University, Connecticut, United States. Gesell studied hundreds of children to chart the normal stages of child development. His work was the basis of the routine testing of children by healthcare workers and it was also used to match up children with adoptive parents.

Materials:: metal (unknown)

Object Number:: 1993-1458/1/3

type:: cup

Image ©: The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Part of:: 1993-1458/1

wooden blocks

Group of painted wooden blocks, of two sizes, 5 large and 6 small, which were amongst the test objects used by the developmental psychologist Dr Arnold Gesell, from the Clinic of Child Behaviour, Yale University, 1911-1961.

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These items were used by the American developmental psychologist and physician Dr Arnold Gesell (1880-1961) in his Clinic of Child Development at Yale University, Connecticut, United States. Gesell studied hundreds of children to chart the normal stages of child development. His work was the basis of the routine testing of children by healthcare workers and it was also used to match up children with adoptive parents.

Materials:: wood (unidentified) and paint

Object Number:: 1993-1458/1/4

type:: wooden blocks

Image ©: The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Part of:: 1993-1458/1

Rattle, 5 large wooden blocks: part of test objects used by the developmental psychologist Dr Arnold Gesell, along with a small spool of 16mm film showing line drawing, from the Clinic of Child Behaviour, Yale University, 1911-1961

Rattle, 5 large wooden blocks: part of test objects used by the developmental psychologist Dr Arnold Gesell, along with a small spool of 16mm film showing line drawing, from the Clinic of Child Behaviour, Yale University, 1911-1961

More

These items were used by the American developmental psychologist and physician Dr Arnold Gesell (1880-1961) in his Clinic of Child Development at Yale University, Connecticut, United States. Gesell studied hundreds of children to chart the normal stages of child development. His work was the basis of the routine testing of children by healthcare workers and it was also used to match up children with adoptive parents.

Object Number:: 1993-1458/2

type:: medicine , psychology , psychological tests and gesell

wooden blocks and rattle

Rattle and 5 large wooden blocks, part of the test objects used by the developmental psychologist Dr Arnold Gesell, from the Clinic of Child Behaviour, Yale University, 1911-1961

More

These items were used by the American developmental psychologist and physician Dr Arnold Gesell (1880-1961) in his Clinic of Child Development at Yale University, Connecticut, United States. Gesell studied hundreds of children to chart the normal stages of child development. His work was the basis of the routine testing of children by healthcare workers and it was also used to match up children with adoptive parents.

Materials:: wood (unidentified) , paint and plastic (unidentified)

Object Number:: 1993-1458/2/1

type:: wooden blocks and rattle

Part of:: 1993-1458/2

film spool

Small spool of 16mm film showing line drawing, with cardboard box, associated with the developmental psychologist Dr Arnold Gesell, from the Clinic of Child Behaviour, Yale University, 1911-1961

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These items were used by the American developmental psychologist and physician Dr Arnold Gesell (1880-1961) in his Clinic of Child Development at Yale University, Connecticut, United States. Gesell studied hundreds of children to chart the normal stages of child development. His work was the basis of the routine testing of children by healthcare workers and it was also used to match up children with adoptive parents.