| Research Abstract |
Lately, theoretical studies on the structure and conception of "Impairments, Di-sabilities and Handicaps" were advanced. Nevertheless, investigations on conception of each disability are insufficient, especially as to "Mental Deficiency".
In this study, therefore, historical study on outline and attainment about the process of development and formation of conception of "Mental Deficiency" through the field of Child Study, psychiatric medicine, psychology, education and social welfare in Japan before World War II, were carried out.
The following results were obtained. (1) In formation of conception "Mental Deficiency" before the war, psychiatrists played important parts, and the formation of conception in other academic fields were basically prescribed by psychiatric medicine. (2) The three classification of Emil Kraepelin (idiot, imbecile, moron) were fundamental. However, as it was seen by the dispute on conception of "Mental Deficiency" among psychiatrists and psychologists, the former also adopted psychological conceptions(for instance:intelligence quotient). Practically it was necessary to diagnosis and discrimination of "Mental Deficiency". (3) In the conception of psychological field, especially we must pay attention to introduction of conception of "Personality" (gestalt psychology, Kurt Lewin), "Life " (Mantro Kido school) and "educational practice" (Teijiro Kawada et al). (4)Attainments and tasks on conception of "Mental Deficiency" in psychiatric medicine and other fields before the war were almost succeeded to "Standard for Classification of Special Children" (1953), which provided conception of "Mental Deficiency" for the first time after the war. That is to say, we could confirm succession among pre and postwar as to conception of "Mental Deficiency".
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