Individual longitudinal growth-curve method for studying mental and physical development

Research Method · All research methods
Evidence · 2 claims (2 for) · 1 study (1 associational), q2 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 2 claims rest on one study

Description

Baldwin advocates the individualizing method: following the same children consecutively over years with both physical and mental measurements, rather than cross-sectional snapshots. He argues that "The day for the study of physical growth processes by single measurements is over" and that prediction of later status requires identifying a child's growth-curve type, chronological and physiological age. The method underpins all the paper's prediction analyses and his call for intensive consecutive studies of the same individuals across a series of years.

Accounts

• Individual longitudinal growth-curve method for studying mental and physical development: Baldwin advocates the individualizing method: following the same children consecutively over years with both physical and mental measurements, rather than cross-sectional snapshots. He argues that "The day for the study of physical growth processes by single measurements is over" and that prediction of later status requires identifying a child's growth-curve type, chronological and physiological age. The method underpins all the paper's prediction analyses and his call for intensive consecutive studies of the same individuals across a series of years. (Bird T. Baldwin (1922))

Claims

• Children maintain their relative height rank within a group from ages 4 to 18, with little crossing of growth curves [+M]
• IQ is only approximately constant across successive examinations, with first-to-fifth IQ correlation of +0.82 and prediction error of 4 to 7 points [+M]

Related Research Methods

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Key Sources

• Bird T. Baldwin. (1922). The Relation Between Mental and Physical Growth. The Journal of Educational Psychology, Vol. XIII, No. 1. https://psycnet.apa.org/journals/edu/13/1/193

Page metadata

Field	Value
type	research-method
id	individual-longitudinal-growth-curve-method-for-studying-mental-and-physical-development
title	Individual longitudinal growth-curve method for studying mental and physical development
description	Baldwin advocates the individualizing method: following the same children consecutively over years with both physical and mental measurements, rather than cross-sectional snapshots.
status	review
generated	by process:settle-candidates on 2026-10-24
trust	unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content

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