Nutrition, Cognitive Status and Achievement Motivation of New Delhi Nursery School Children

Abstract

Significant differences in head circumference and growth rate, the Draw-A-Man IQ and measures of visual-motor development were found between 24 inadequately and 16 adequately nourished New Delhi nursery school children from lower-middle class homes. No differences were found on measures of language development when parental income, occupation and nursery school attendance were controlled. Results of achievement motivation tests varied with the sex of the child. On most measures, inadequately nourished children showed greater variability than the adequately nourished, and inadequately nourished girls had lower mean scores than inadequately nourished boys.