ABSTRACT
If one is interested in what image of childhood is portrayed in the field of psychology, one would be hard pressed to find a coherent or unified image in the research literature. The reason is relatively easy to understand once one discovers that psychology is not a unified science. Although its overarching concern is a general interest in the study of behavior of living organisms, there is considerable diversity in how this interest is manifest in theory, method, and practice. Koch (1959) wrote a series of volumes dedicated to the question “What is Psychology”? He concluded that psychology is, in reality, a loose collection of perspectives, each in its own way seeking to understand how living organisms come to terms with their life space and manage not only to survive, but also to transcend its vicissitudes and continue to exist and prosper. The most blatant manifestation of this wide-ranging state of affairs becomes evident in the organization of psychology through examining the range of divisions of interest groups in the American Psychological Association (APA). There are currently 47 groups with interests in diverse fields ranging from animal learning to gay and lesbian issues. For those interested in the changing nature of psychological science, an examination of the fascinating developmental history of psychology as reflected in addresses of the presidents of the APA from 1892 to 1977 in Hilgard (1978) is recommended.
