Describe the role that Arnold Gesell played in the study of human development

What will be an ideal response?

Answer: Inspired by the work of Charles Darwin, Arnold Gesell and his teacher, G. Stanley Hall, devised theories based on evolutionary ideas. They regarded development as a maturational process—a genetically determined series of events that unfold automatically, much like a flower. Hall and Gesell are remembered for their intensive efforts to describe all aspects of development. They launched the normative approach, in which measures of behavior are taken on large numbers of individuals, and age-related averages are computed to represent typical development. Gesell collected detailed normative information on the motor achievements, social behaviors, and personality characteristics of infants and children. He was also among the first to make knowledge about child development meaningful to parents by informing them of what to expect at each age. His child-rearing books became a central part of a rapidly expanding child development literature for parents.