Essay on Human Development Shaped by Biology and Experience

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT SHAPED BY BIOLOGY AND EXPERIENCE The first core concept suggested by From Neurons to Neighborhoods depicts human development forming from the interplay of an individual’s biology and experience. Early scientists in this particular field created testable hypotheses to understand the dynamic interaction between the nature-nurture phenomenon. For example, some scientists such as Arnold Gesell considered emerging skills to be the product of an individual’s genetic make-up, while others, such as John B. Watson, speculated human behavior was determined by the surrounding environment (Shonkoff Philips, 2001, 23). Moreover, Nobel Prize winner Ivan Pavlov’s and North American scientist B.F. Skinner’s research in behaviorism†¦show more content†¦A person naturally desires to have necessary biological needs filled. Pavlov’s experiment also demonstrates how nature will interact with nurture through his discovery canines salivate not just at the smell of food, but also at the sound of footsteps bringing the food. The canines were able to connect the smell and audio stimuli together to learn when one comes, such as the footprints, a reward will follow, such as the food. In human development, an individual will link stimuli together in order to adapt to his or her living environment. Some examples of individuals being shaped through experiences include the white coat syndrome and learning to speak. In the first example, a patient associates the sensation of fear with a doctor or nurse; therefore, his or her blood pressure rises when he or she sees the appearance of a white coat (Berger, 40). In the second example, a babbling toddler learns to associate the non-sensible sounds â€Å"ma-ma† or â€Å"ba-ba† with his or her mother or bottle as they each make their welcomed appearances (Berger, 172). Therefore, a person’s survival depends on whether or not he or she has associated fear with potent ially harmful stimuli, or acceptance for desirable stimuli. Lastly, B.F. Skinner introduced a new form of learning process called operate conditioning. Operate conditioning, like classical conditioning, involves individuals creating associations with various stimuli. However, unlike classicalShow MoreRelatedHuman Development Is Shaped By A Dynamic And Continuous Interaction Between Biology And Experience1170 Words   |  5 PagesCore Concept 1 â€Å"Human development is shaped by a dynamic and continuous interaction between biology and experience† (Shonkoff Phillips, 2000, p. 22). †¢ Children and their environments are continually influenced by each other (Shonkoff Phillips, 2000, p. 22). †¢ No environment is the same for any child. Even if they live in the same house, they will have different experiences (Shonkoff Phillips, 2000, p. 22-23). †¢ Children’s experiences will impact the levels of the brain’s blood supply, theirRead MoreThe Strengths and Weaknesses of the Sociocultural Perspective986 Words   |  4 Pageshave strengths and weaknesses and explain psychology in a different way. One theory, the sociocultural perspective, is exactly what its name suggests. It’s the idea that the society and groups that an individual belongs to are what influences development, thoughts, and behavior. The sociocultural perspective was pioneered by a Russian psychologist, Lev Vygotsky, in the 1920’s (John-Steiner, 1998). Vygotsky stressed the idea that children learn through what he called guided participation (SigelmanRead MoreNature Vs. Nurture Debate878 Words   |  4 Pages When one thinks about child development, are personalities and traits produced by genetics or shaped by the environment? 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My recent work, at the physical chemistry-biomaterials science interface, focused on investigating the structural and dynamicalRead MoreEssay about Child Development, Nature vs Nurture801 Words   |  4 Pagesinheritance  and  environmental factors  to human development. Some philosophers such as Plato and Descartes suggested that certain things are inborn, or that they simply occur naturally regardless of environmental influences. Other well-known thinkers such as John Locke believed in what is known as  tabula rasa, which suggests that the mind begins as a blank slate. According to this notion, everything that we are and all of our knowledge is determined by our experience. For example, when a person achievesRead MoreThe Five Key Aspects Of Theoretical Orientation Essay1313 Words   |  6 Pagesfive key aspects of theoretical orientation to development include: psychoanalytic, cognitive, behavior and social cognitive, ethological, and ecological. 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