What are Developmental Issues?
During the developmental phase of an individual, certain environmental, innate, and situational factors might affect their growth. An individual’s lifespan revolves around the dominance of traits required to shape their personal development. According to theorists, three major developmental issues have emerged in the study of human growth, which continue to be the subject of many research studies. These key debates are discussed briefly below:
1. Nature vs. Nurture
This debate concerns the relative influence of genetics and environment on behavioral development. It questions whether an individual’s development is primarily influenced by hereditary factors or by environmental factors.
Timeline of the Nature vs. Nurture Debate
- Pre-17th Century: Philosophical Roots and Emergence of the Debate
- The nature vs. nurture debate was sparked by the question posed by Chen Sheng Wu Guang in 209 BC: “Are kings, generals, and ministers merely born into their kind?” The early modern period saw John Locke’s “Tabula Rasa” (Blank Slate) theory in 1690, which suggested that a human’s abilities are developed through their perception of the environment, supporting the nurture side of the debate. This was contradicted by Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778), who believed that goodness in humans is innate and that the environment can corrupt and change this quality.
- 19th Century: Evolutionary Perspectives
- Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection in the 19th century contributed to the nature side of the debate, asserting that mental traits are derived from innate tendencies that aid in survival. Franz Boas’s study, “The Mind of Primitive Man” (1911), highlighted the importance of population, biology, language, material, and culture in forming human nature, thus merging learned approaches with innate tendencies. Francis Galton (1822-1911) emphasized heredity’s impact on intellectual abilities, focusing on the nurture side of the debate.
- 20th Century: Developmental, Psychoanalytical, and Socio-Cultural Theories
- Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytical theory in 1952 emphasized the role of early environmental factors in personality development, supporting the nurture side. Behaviorists like John Watson and B.F. Skinner also emphasized the environment’s role in shaping behavior. Watson claimed that with the right environmental conditions, he could shape infants into specialists in any field, while Skinner’s concept of operant conditioning in 1938 further supported environmental influence. By the late 20th century, studies had shifted towards understanding the interaction between nature and nurture in shaping personality.
Stability vs. Change
This debate revolves around whether stable traits such as instincts, genetics, and temperament are consistent in shaping personality or whether significant changes throughout different stages of development play a more substantial role.
Timeline of Ancient Philosophies to Modern Perspectives
- Ancient Philosophers:
- Plato favored the idea of innate, stable traits, while Aristotle argued that character development occurs through learning and acquisition.
- 19th Century:
- Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection in 1859 emphasized the importance of change for survival. Stanley Hall, the father of developmental psychology, proposed that children develop through three basic stages.
- 20th Century:
- Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytical theory in 1896 suggested that although early life stages deeply affect personality, these aspects are not unchangeable and can be modified through therapy. Theories like John Watson’s behaviorism, B.F. Skinner’s operant conditioning, and Jean Piaget’s developmental stages indicated changes throughout growth. Paul Baltes believed that both stable characteristics and changes coexist.
3. Continuity vs. Discontinuity
This debate centers on whether development is a continuous process or if it occurs in distinct stages.
Theorists Supporting Discontinuity
- Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalytical Theory (1900): Development occurs through psychosocial stages.
- Jean Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory (1936): Development occurs through stages such as sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational.
- Erik Erikson’s Psychosocial Development Theory: Proposed eight stages of psychosocial development.
- Kohlberg’s Moral Development Theory (1969): Proposed six stages of moral development.
- Marcia’s Identity Status Theory: Proposed four identity stages.
- Lev Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory: Identified stages of cognitive development.
Theorists Supporting Continuity
- Aristotle (Empiricism): Believed in continuous development.
- John Locke (Tabula Rasa): Supported continuous development through environmental influence.
- Paul Baltes’s Life Span Developmental Theory: Favored continuous natural development.
- Esther Thelen’s Dynamic Systems Theory: Supported continuous development under environmental influence.
Conclusion
The timeline of each developmental issue signifies how these factors have been thoroughly studied and modified over time, considering one’s nature, traits, temperament, personality, environmental factors, hereditary genes, and the ways these elements interact to shape development. Questions such as whether an individual is born a genius or becomes one through effort, or whether a person is born a criminal or shaped by their environment, are prominent areas of research that delve into the knowledge and depth of developmental issues throughout the human lifespan.
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