The Mind of the Child, Part II: The Development of the Intellect, International Education; Series Edited By William T. Harris, Volume IX.Preyer, William T.
Science
The Mind of the Child, Part II: The Development of the Intellect, International Education; Series Edited By William T. Harris, Volume IX.
Preyer, William T.
Child development; Child psychology
It is now a matter of common occurrence that other words heard have also
a definite relation to objects seen. The questions, "Where is papa?
mamma? the light?" are invariably answered correctly, after brief
deliberation, by turning the head (at the word "light," occasionally
since the ninth month) and the gaze in the proper direction, and by
lifting the right arm, often also the left, to point, the fingers of the
outstretched hand being at the same time generally spread out. In the
previous month, only the association of the word _mama_ with the
appearance of the mother was established. The following are now added
to the movements executed upon hearing certain words. The child likes to
beat with his hands upon the table at which he is sitting. I said to
him, "Play the piano," and made the movement after him. Afterward, when
I merely said the word "piano" to the child (who was at the time quiet),
without moving my hands, he _considered_ for a few seconds, and then
beat again with his hands on the table. Thus the recollection of the
sound was sufficient to bring out the movement. Further, the child had
accustomed himself, of his own accord, to give a regular _snort_,
contracting the nostrils, pursing up the mouth, and breathing out
through the nose. If now any one spoke to him of the "nose," this
snorting was sure to be made. The word put the centro-motors into a
state of excitement. The same is true of the command "Give!" since the
child reaches out the object he is holding or is about to take hold of,
in case any one puts out the hand or the lips to him. Some weeks ago
this took place only with the ring and biscuit; now the word "give" has
the same effect with any object capable of being grasped, but it
operates almost like a reflex stimulus, "mechanically," without its
being even once the case that the act of giving is a purely voluntary
act or even occasioned by sympathy.
In these already learned co-ordinated movements made upon hearing the
words "Please, How tall? rogue! no! piano! ring! give!" all of which
are now executed with shorter intervals of deliberation as if by
a well-trained animal, there is in general absolutely no deeper
understanding present than that to this and the other sound-impression
belong this and the other movement. By means of daily repetition of
both, the time required for the production of the movement after the
excitement of the auditory nerve becomes less and less, the doubt as to
which movement follows this or that sound withdrawing more and more. At
last the responsive movements followed without any remarkable strain of
attention. They became habitual.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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