Chapter 2 of Essentials of life-span development discusses the biological foundations of life-span development from inception to birth. For better context, it explains this development from the evolutionary perspective and puts specific emphasis on evolutionary psychology, which studies how evolution defines humans’ cognitive and emotional capacities (Santrock, 2012). After that, the chapter provides a basic background on the biological workings of human reproduction, mainly focuses on the genetics involved, and also takes time to talk about genetic abnormalities specifically. Introducing the nature vs. nurture debate in the following section of the chapter is particularly important for the beginning student because it introduces one of the most fundamental theoretical questions in the field (Santrock, 2012). Finally, the chapter covers the biological basics of the prenatal development of the human fetus (Santrock, 2012). Much like the aforementioned section on the genetics of human reproduction, this part is important to refresh the student’s knowledge on the matter.
The main strength of the chapter lies in its combination of empirical biological material and theoretical issues essential for the study of lifespan development. The discussion of the relative importance of heredity and environment in lifespan development allows the student to learn more about the main approaches to the topic. Learning about Scarr’s heredity-environment correlations and the epigenetic view enables the student to approach the age-old nature vs. nurture debate with some semblance of a theoretical foundation (Santrock, 2012). At the same time, the intersections covering the basics of human reproduction, fetal development, and genetics involved always keep the student aware of the biological foundation for the aforementioned theories. As a result, the chapter provides the beginning student with a better understanding of theoretical perspectives on early life-span development based on solid biological knowledge.
Reference
Santrock, J. W. (2012). Essentials of life-span development (2nd ed.). McGraw-Hill.