Читать книгу Infants and Children in Context - Tara L. Kuther - Страница 38

Perhaps the oldest question about development concerns its origin. Referred to as the nature–nurture debate, researchers once asked whether development is caused by nature (genetics) or nurture (environment). Explanations that rely on nature point to inborn genetic traits and maturational processes as causes of developmental change. For example, most infants take their first steps at roughly the same age, suggesting a maturational trend that supports the role of nature in development (Payne & Isaacs, 2016). An alternative explanation for developmental change emphasizes nurture, the environment. From this perspective, children are molded by the physical and social environment in which they are raised. Therefore, children tend to walk at about the same time because they experience similar environmental circumstances and parenting practices.

Today, developmental scientists generally agree that the nature–nurture debate is, in fact, not a debate. Instead, most now agree that both nature and nurture are important contributors to development, and the question has changed to “How do genetics and environment work together to influence child development?” (Rutter, 2014; Sasaki & Kim, 2017). For example, walking is heavily influenced by maturation (nature), but experiences and environmental conditions can speed up or slow down the process (nurture). Although most infants begin to walk at about the same time, infants who experience malnutrition may walk later than well-nourished infants, and those who are given practice making stepping or jumping movements may walk earlier (Siekerman et al., 2015; Worobey, 2014). Developmental scientists attempt to determine how nature and nurture interact and work together to influence children’s development (Bjorklund, 2018b; Lickliter & Witherington, 2017). Developmental scientists’ research on the dynamic interaction of nature and nurture has important applied implications, as discussed in the Applying Developmental Science feature.