Zur Psychologie des Minderwuchses im Kindes- und Jugendalter

Following an introductory discussion on psychologic and somatic factors in childhood growth retardation, the initial results of a psychologic study on 32 children with retarded growth are presented. Examination of the children was by means of various personality questionnaires and tests. The findings were compared with those from a control group of children of normal growth and parallel age, sex, number of siblings, position with regard to the siblings, and socioeconomic status. The results were interpreted against a background of factor analysis findings of empirical personality testing. It was found that the personality of children of retarded growth does not differ with regard to neuroticism and extraversion from that of normally developing children. The adaptation pattern of the retarded children tends rather to consist of a withdrawal from external social contacts into an emotionally colored inner world.