Occasional and meager attempts to answer some of these questions—which, if answered in full, would constitute a complete theory of mental development in the individual—have found a place in the book. But whatever interest or value the work may have must lie, mainly, in the record stripped of all theory and interpretation beyond what has been absolutely necessary for the presentation of a faithful narrative, which is the leading purpose of the undertaking. Whatever the value of my interpretation, I hope it will be found that the record of my observations and experiments rings true.
It will be inferred from what has been said already that the work makes no pretension to being a complete treatise on the "Psychology of Infancy"; much less does it profess to be a work on "Genetic Psychology." It professes only to be a presentation of empirical data carefully observed and accurately recorded regarding some important phases of infant activity. I hope that the data thus furnished will be of use to psychologists who may be engaged in the formulation of a theory of mental development. I hope, also, that besides the psychologists and others having a scientific interest in the processes of mental development, the Studies will prove of interest to parents and teachers whose attitude toward infancy and early childhood is primarily ethical and practical, and that they may be suggestive—first, as to the kinds of things which should be observed, what
