A Unified Theory of Development: A Dialectic Integration of Nature and Nurture
concerning this article should be addressed to Arnold Sameroff, Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, 300 N. Ingalls Building, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0406. Electronic mail may be sent to [email protected].
Abstract
The understanding of nature and nurture within developmental science has evolved with alternating ascendance of one or the other as primary explanations for individual differences in life course trajectories of success or failure. A dialectical perspective emphasizing the interconnectedness of individual and context is suggested to interpret the evolution of developmental science in similar terms to those necessary to explain the development of individual children. A unified theory of development is proposed to integrate personal change, context, regulation, and representational models of development.
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