The most fundamental theorist in this area is Jean Piaget. Additionally, Piaget demonstrated one of the first scientific movements in the filed, with the utilization of direct observation as the best tool for understanding. (Piaget, 1962, p. 107) Piaget also believes, and his theories reflect that children play a very active and dynamic role in development through interaction with their environment and active role imitation. (Piaget, 1962, p. 159) Sensory-motor

, 2002). It is now widely believed that vulnerability to bad behavior is conditional and depends on genetic susceptibility (Kendler, 2001; Rutter & Silberg 2001; in Caspi et al., 2002). This theory was tested by Caspi et al. (2001) when they attempted to predict antisocial behavior among more than 1000 male maltreated children by genotyping their polymorphism at the MAOA gene. Their findings provided epidemiological evidence that high MAOA expression moderates

Lantern What do Babies Think? Psychologists and the rest of the world have always regarded babies as incomplete, merely forming adults whose thoughts can only be rudimental and purposeless. But Alison Gopnik explored deeply into this issue and came out with the staggering finding that babies are actually smarter and meaningful than we all thought, even more intelligent than adults in essence. Gopnik is a psychology professor at the University of

Maturationist, Constructivist, and Environmentalist Educational Theories Numerous educational and childhood development theories have impacted school readiness discussions. Among the most notable theories that hold an effect on readiness practices are maturationists', constructivists', and environmentalists' development theories. Maturationists observe that there can be achievement of school readiness practices when all healthy children hold the potential to carry out activities such as counting and alphabet recitation. Encompassment of these activities is in learning

Discussion Every one goes through many stages in life beginning at the time of conception, throughout life, and finally in death. Human development is important to psychologists because it can provide insight about a person and the stage he or she may be experiencing in life based on age-related changes in behavior, emotions, personality, and thought processes (Boyd & Bee, 2009). The interest of changes throughout a person's life, from childhood

Diamond Marian Diamond addressed the nature vs. nurture issue so long debated by researchers and scientists by actually observing the effects of living in different environments on young rats. The beginnings of her research with Donald Head occurred in the 1960's, a time when the brain was not viewed as plastic. When presenting the results of their early research demonstrating a small but significant thicker cerebral cortex in rats raised in