7 ___7 evelopment ~~ on Human Devel MODULE 3 Bros om $ f environment is so oY at i heredity an AY” The interaction of heredity i ant, nature ‘he inte’ of ich is more iy ort TJ extensive that to ask w s mor pine ‘ aera is like asking which is more imp a rectangle, height or width. ——_yyilfiam Greenough 3 Es cou should be able to take a At the end of this Module, y' (3) issues on development, | research-based position on the three ‘QA nm ~ Each of us has his/her own informal way of looking at our own and other people’s development. These paradigms of human development while obviously lacking in scholastic vigor, provide us with a conceptual framework for understanding ourselves and others. Scholars have come up with their own models of human development. Back up by solid research, they take stand on issues on human development. (gq (This is supposed to be assigned at least more than one week before the schéduled debate) Small group Debate Divide the class into 3 small groups. Let the groups choose their topic for debate. Here are the topics and issues: 1, Nature versus Nurture — Which has a more significant influence on human development? Nature .or, nurture? Nature refers to an individual’s biological inheritance. Nurture refers to environmental experiences. 2. Continuity versus Discontinuity - Does development involve gradual, cumulative change (continuity) or distinct changes(discontinuity). To make it more concrete, here is a question: Is our development like that of a seedling gradually growing into an acacia tree? Or is it more like that of a caterpillar becoming a butterfly? Stability vs. Change — Is development best described as involving stability or as involving change? Are we what our first experiences have made of us or do we develop into someone different from who we were at an earlier point in development? Report to the whole class what transpired in your small group debates. (QU After every small group presentation to the whole class, the teacher facilitates the whole class discussion and asks the following: 1, Who are pro-nature? Pro-nurture? Are there additional reasons you can give in favor of nature/nurture? Who are neither for nature nor nurture? Why? 2. Who go for continuity? Discontinuity? Can you give additional arguments to defend continuity/discontinuity? Who are in between continuity and discontinuity? Why? 3. Who claims stability is more correct than change? Change is more correct than stability? CU EE ery The issues presented can be translated into questions that have sparked animated debate among developmentalists. Are girls less likely to do well in math because of their ‘feminine’ nature or because of society’s ‘masculine’ bias? How extensively can the elderly be trained to reason more effectively? How much, if at all, does our memory decline in old age? Can techniques be used to prevent or reduce the decline? For children who experienced a world of poverty, neglect by parents, and poor schooling in childhood, can enriched experiences in adolescence remove the ‘deficits’ that they encountered earlier in their development (Santrock, 2002)?