"John W. Kulig" wrote:
> Gonick and Smith's "Cartoon Guide to Statistics" says Galton also used the phrase
>"regression toward mediocrity" - and this may explain why he chose a
> word with negative connotations. Perhaps he saw the ends of the distributions (esp.
>with IQ) as an advancement. Movement back to the population mean would be
>"regression" toward mediocrity.
Remember, that some of those involved in the study of individuals differences had
motives beyond simply the scientific. Galton, for one, was a proponent of eugenics
and its uses. In fact he coined the term �eugenics� and
defined it as �the study of agencies under social control that may improve or impair
the racial qualities of future generations, either physically or mentally." The
issue of "regression towards mediocrity" took on the
shape of policy related particularly to immigration.
Karl Pearson went on to author of The Problem of Alien Immigration into Great Britain,
Illustrated by an Examination of Russian and Polish Jewish Children. In it he argues
against the admission of Jewish Immigrants into
England. The data cited not surprisingly is correlational.
Both Henry Goddard and Edward Thorndike were early core members of the Eugenics
Section of the American Breeders� Association. Goddard was also the author of The
Kallikak Family and he retouched the photographs to make the
Kallikaks appear mentally retarded. And we could then also go on to discuss the use
of intelligence tests by Goddard and other at Ellis Island.
There are some who argue that Behaviorism with its emphasis on environmental
influences and its subsequent growth of popularity before, during, and after WWII was
a response to the above individuals and ideas.
Hope everyone is having a wonderful Fall.
Linda
Linda M. Woolf, Ph.D.
Associate Professor - Psychology
Webster University
Main Webpage: http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm/
Holocaust and Genocide Studies Pages: http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm/holocaust.html
Womens' Pages: http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm/women.html
Gerontology Pages: http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm/gero.html
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