PSYB32H3 Chapter 1: Chapter 1 - Child Development.docx
Document Summary
Arnold gesell, psychologist, believed that the course of development was largely predetermined by biological factors. In his research, gesell concentrated on maturation or the natural unfolding of development over the course of growth. John b. watson, behaviorist, placed emphasis strictly on the environment. He assumed that biological factors placed no restrictions on the ways that the environment can shape the course of a child"s development. Today, there are no theories that support either of these extreme positions. Instead, modern developmentalists explore how biological and environmental factors, or nature and nurture, interact to produce developmental variations in different children. The combination of the child"s biological characteristics, the way he or she expresses these characteristics behaviorally, and the abusive environment itself puts a particular child at risk. Example: children with certain genetic characteristics are more likely to exhibit behavior problems than are children who do not have these characteristics.
