Interplay of Nature Versus Nurture

The organic lamp views have provided developmentalists with useful frameworks
against which to understand the vast body of developmental data.
Work within the Piagetian framework has shown that both nature and nurture
contribute to successful development. One cannot, for example, create
“superchildren” by providing preschoolers with college-level material. In
general, they are simply not ready as organisms to cope with the abstract
thinking required. On the other hand, the work of researchers on various
Piagetian problems has shown that even very young children are capable of
complex learning.

Organic lamp theory has demonstrated the powerful interplay between
biological factors and the way in which children are raised. An example is
seen in the treatment of Down syndrome, a chromosomal condition that
results in mental retardation. The disorder occurs when there are three
chromosomes, rather than two, at the twenty-first locus. Clearly, this is a biological
condition, and it was believed to be relatively impervious to interventions
that come from the environment. It has now been shown, however,
that children afflicted with Down syndrome develop much higher intelligence
when raised in an intellectually stimulating environment, as opposed
to the more sterile, clinical, determined environments typically employed in
the past. The child’s intellect is not entirely determined by biology; it is possible
to ameliorate the biological effects of the syndrome by means of environmental
intervention. This type of complex interplay of hereditary and
environmental factors is the hallmark of applied organic lamp theory.

The most important application of developmental theory generally, however,
lies in its contribution to the improved understanding of human nature.
Such an understanding has considerable real-world importance. For
example, among other factors, an extreme faith in the nature side of the nature-
nurture controversy led German dictator Adolf Hitler to the assumption
that entire races were, by their nature, inferior and therefore should be
exterminated. His actions, based on this belief, led to millions of human
deaths duringWorldWar II. Thus, one can see that developmental theories,
especially if inadequately understood, may have sweeping applications in
the real world.
Sources for Further Study
Gollin, Eugene S., ed. Developmental Plasticity: Behavioral and Biological Aspects
of Variations in Development. New York: Academic Press, 1981. Excellent
coverage of important theoretical issues in modern developmental psychology.
Accessible to college or graduate students with some background
in psychology or biology.
Lerner, Richard M. On the Nature of Human Plasticity. New York: Cambridge
University Press, 1984. Insightful discussion of modern theory in developmental
psychology and some historic antecedents. Emphasis on biological
issues. Accessible to advanced students, graduate students, or professionals.
Miller, Patricia H. Theories of Developmental Psychology. 4th ed. New York:
Worth, 2002. Excellent, comprehensive treatment of developmental theory.
Describes extant theories in detail and discusses commonalities and
dissimilarities. Accessible to the layperson with some background in psychology.
Piaget, Jean. Biology and Knowledge. Chicago: University of Chicago Press,
1971. This is a seminal summary of Piagetian theory that contains more
general information and information concerning theory construction
than do Piaget’s other, more specific works. Readily accessible to the college
student or the advanced high school student.
Shaffer, David Reed. Developmental Psychology: Childhood and Adolescence. 6th
ed. Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth, 2001. Good general textbook on developmental
psychology with an excellent basic treatment of theoretical issues
in development. Accessible to the college or high school student.
Siegler, Robert S. Emerging Minds: The Process of Change in Children’s Thinking.
New York: Oxford University Press, 1996. Proposes a methodology of describing
change as children’s cognitive processes evolve.
Matthew J. Sharps
See also: Adolescence: Cognitive Skills; Aging: Cognitive Changes; Attachment
and Bonding in Infancy and Childhood; Behaviorism; Cognitive Development:
Jean Piaget; Ego Psychology: Erik Erikson; Gender-Identity Formation;
Psychosexual Development. 260