There are a number of important issues that have been debated throughout the history of developmental psychology. The major questions include the following: Is development due more to genetics or environment? Does development occur slowly and smoothly, or do changes happen in stages? Do early childhood experiences have the greatest impact on development, or are later events equally important?

Nature vs. Nurture

The debate over the relative contributions of inheritance and the environment is one of the oldest issues in both philosophy and psychology. Philosophers such as Plato and Descartes supported the idea that some ideas are inborn. On the other hand, thinkers such as John Locke argued for the concept of tabula rosa—a belief that the mind is a blank slate at birth, with experience determining our knowledge.

Today, most psychologists believe that it is an interaction between these two forces that causes development. Some aspects of development are distinctly biological,......

Join Now to view the rest of this term paper!
Members: Login to view this research paper.

Title: Dev Psych
Approximate Word Count: 639
Approximate Pages: 3 (250 words per double-spaced page)

With the Term Papers Lab Membership Pass, you get instant access to every essay on this site, including this essay on Dev Psych, for as long as you remain a member.

Other essays sites charge almost $100 for a single term paper. At Term Papers Lab, you can get instant access to over 100,000 research papers for as little as $29.95!