Historical analysis in pediatric psychology: the influence of societal and professional conditions on two early pediatric psychology articles and the field's subsequent development

Lara M Genik; Jeffery Yen; C Meghan McMurtry

doi:10.1093/jpepsy/jsu084

Historical analysis in pediatric psychology: the influence of societal and professional conditions on two early pediatric psychology articles and the field's subsequent development

J Pediatr Psychol. 2015 Mar;40(2):167-74. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsu084. Epub 2014 Oct 1.

Authors

Lara M Genik¹, Jeffery Yen², C Meghan McMurtry³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, University of Guelph, Department of Pediatrics, Western University, and Children's Health Research Institute lgenik@uoguelph.ca.
² Department of Psychology, University of Guelph, Department of Pediatrics, Western University, and Children's Health Research Institute.
³ Department of Psychology, University of Guelph, Department of Pediatrics, Western University, and Children's Health Research Institute Department of Psychology, University of Guelph, Department of Pediatrics, Western University, and Children's Health Research Institute Department of Psychology, University of Guelph, Department of Pediatrics, Western University, and Children's Health Research Institute.

PMID: 25273000
DOI: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsu084

Abstract

The field of pediatric psychology arose in the 1960s in response to a variety of societal and professional needs. 2 seminal articles written during this time, by Jerome Kagan (1965) and Logan Wright (1967), played key roles in the field's development. However, their efficacy in galvanizing a response from medical professionals and psychologists had much to do with broad-ranging developments in pediatric public health, intraprofessional changes among medical specialties, and a growing preoccupation with "psychosocial" and parenting issues. The purpose of this paper is to situate Kagan's (1965) and Wright's (1967) contributions within their social and historical contexts, and thereby to elicit reflection on the field's subsequent and continued development.

Keywords: field development; historical analysis; pediatric psychology; seminal articles.

Publication types

Historical Article

MeSH terms

Child
History, 20th Century
Humans
Psychology, Child / history*
Publishing*