This article presents the pros and cons of these currently controversial questions and cites references supporting divergent views. Nutrition surveys have made it clear that iron nutrition is marginal in a significant population of American in­fants. The significance of these 'findings, the influence of socio-economic factors, and current trends in treatment of the problem are summarized. The article will be of interest to all nutrition educa­tors concerned with infant feeding.

Marilyn Nebeker

Hawrylewicz, E. J. and Chow, B. F., Eds., The relationship of perinatal malnutrition to brain development, Nutr. Reports International, 4:237, special issue, Nov. 1971, $4.50 from Geron-x, Publishers, Box 1108, Los Altos, CA 94022.

This special issue is devoted to papers on brain development as affected by the diet of mothers. Nutrition educators seeking experimental facts about the subject will find this of limited use. Most of the pa­pers are isolated experiments with rats as the subjects. The overall significance of the subject to human nutrition is dis-cussed very little. .

In the ninth paper, Dr. E. Howe of the Merck Institute for Therapeutic Re­search builds a case-from materials al­ready published elsewhere-for supple­mentation of the food of cereal-eating people in developing countries with vita­mins, minerals, and lysine at a cost of "about 50 cents per year per person." He claims that "supplementation during central processing of cereals would elim­inate the necessity of long and difficult educational programs."

This reviewer feels that nutrition edu­cation should go hand~in-hand with en­richment programs. Nutrition education should never be pliminated except per­haps in rare circumstances such as when there is no available choice of nutritious foods or in emergency feeding programs.

G.M.B.

Gagne, R. M., Behavioral objectives, Yes! and Kneller, G. F., Behavioral objectives? No! Educational Leader­ship, 29:394, Feb., 1972.

Gagne postulates that an observable performance in a learner is an index of understanding, and that both the be-

84 / JOURNAL OF NUTRITION EDUCATION

havior and the knowledge need to be ex­pressly stated in the objective.

He identifies five major categories rep­resenting what is learned: motor skills, verbal information, intellectual skills, cognitive strategies, and attitudes. (An example of this style of behavioral objec­tivein nutrition education might be: "Given a cafeteria-type selection of food, selects a balanced lunch by plaCing ap­propriate foods on the tray.")

Gagne says behavioral objectives are important . to in~tructional designers, those preparing educational materials, teachers, and, in many cases, students and parents.

In the future, ,he proposes, behavioral objectives might be used as a part of a more meaningful accountability system than the grading system now in wide use.

Kneller, the author of the second ar­ticle, is opposed to behavioral objectives: "The sameness of individuals is judged to matter more than their differences ... adjustment to the curriculum is presup­posed; replication is prized .... "

He feels that behavioral objectives can be stated for ape individual but not for a group. In his view, behavioral objectives are "characteristic of a culture which ... seeks to measure ac;:omplishment in standard units."

adequate caloric intake has been ac­cepted as a factor in diminishing labor productivity.

In discussing other factors, the author cites research on the relation of malnu­trition to intelligence, incidence of dis­ease, and size of human beings. By ana­lyzing income and per capita protein supplies in the countries and other fac­tors, the author hypothesizes that labor 'Pt:oductivity varies inversely with early childhood malnutrition. There is a strong and positive correlation between per cap­ita supplies of protein and income levels. The economic data suggest that malnu­trition and economic development vary inversely with one another. H.D.V.

Other Articles o,f Interest Darby, W. J., Nutrition in the 1970s,

Nutr. Rev., 30:27, Feb. 1972. The new president of The Nutrition Foundation, Inc., calls for a broad ap­proach to the understanding of nutrition in the present decade.

American Academy of Pediatrics, The use and abuse of vitamin A, Pedia­trics" 48:655, Oct. 1971.

A joint committee statement by the com­mittees on Drugs and Nutrition on Vita­min A. An active curb on over-the-coun­ter, high-potency vitamin A preparations is recommended.

While Kneller's view is interesting and informative, does , it apply to nutrition education? Nutrition is an area where

Clemens, J., Adequacy of undergradu­many different forms of a desired be-

ate education,!. Home Econ., 63: 660. havior can be of direct benefit to the I S I b" b' Dec. 1971. earner. ure yo jectlves can e WrItten

Home economists in business rated their in behavioral terms yet be flexible enough . to allow a wide range of choices within . undergraduate education in light of their

subsequent jobs. Emphasis is recom­an accepted definition of "good nutri- mended in arellsofspecialization within tion."

Reading t~se t\Vo articles will be 'of value to anyon¢c who writes objectives­both in how to write them and as a re­minder not to apply them too rigidly to an individual. M.C.P.

Belli, P., The economic implications of malnutrition: the dismal science revis­ited, Econ. Development and Cultural Change, 20(No. 1): 1, Oct. 1971.

Belli feels that nutrition is probably the single most important element in the de­velopment of the human being. Econo­mists have paid scant attention to nutri­tion findings and its possible significance in the process of economic growth. In-

home economics.

Cason, D. and Wagner, M. G., The changing role of the service profes­sional within the ghetto, J. Amer. Dietet. Assoc., 60:21, Jan. 1972.

A review of the circumstances under which professionals work with the poor and how communication could be im­proved:

Deal, T. N . and Maass, P., An experi­ence in field training for parent educa­tion, J. Home Econ., 63:664, Dec. 1971.

Low-income parents can be educated by the design of programs to improve self­image and competency.

SPRING, 1972