EAR-20 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Developmental Psychology, Child Development, Heredity
Document Summary
Introduction: early theories, major themes and basic methods. Themes in development- questions that circle again and again. Nature vs nurture debate dispute centering on whether the childs development is the result of genetic endowment or environmental influences. Common nature vs nurture issues the development of intelligence, the emergence of gender roles. Answers to these types of questions are likely to have an impact on social policy by affecting how funds are allocated to health, educational and many other programs. Both nature and nurture are essential to all aspects of behavior. Question has shifted away from identify which or how much of these two factors contributes to a situation and it is now questioned how heredity and environment influence ach other to affect behavior. Children are active players in the process of their own development. Children aren"t passive recipients of their environment or blank slates on which it writes. Makes it difficult to determine how heredity and environment interact.
