Will a child who is genetically male, but raised female as a result of a surgical accident during infancy, grow up to identify as female? Do all children have the wherewithal to become expert musicians if provided with the same opportunities for extensive practice, or are there genetically determined constraints that no amount of practice can countermand? These are just two of the provocative questions addressed in The Nature-Nurture Debate: The Essential Readings.
No issue is more central to the field of developmental psychology than the nature-nurture debate. Its resolution promises to have profound implications for the way we view children's behavior, and the nature and malleability of their temperament, personality, intelligence, and gender identity. Stephen J. Ceci and Wendy M. Williams have gathered together fourteen of the most scientifically compelling papers, each introduced by the editors, which not only provide an authoritative resource, but will also serve to stimulate meaningful classroom discussion about the most important developmental issue of our time.