Summary
Contents
Subject index
`This is an impressive work... and will provide the advanced reader with a rich source of theory and evidence. There is a huge amount to be got from the book and I suspect it will become a key work' - J Gavin Bremner, Department of Psychology, Lancaster University The Handbook of Developmental Psychology is a comprehensive, authoritative yet frontier-pushing overview of the study of human development presented in a single-volume format. It is ideal for experienced individuals wishing for an up-to-date survey of the central themes prevalent to developmental psychology, both past and present, and for those seeking a reference work to help appreciate the subject for the first time. The insightful contributions from world-leading developmental psychologists successfully and usefully integrate different perspectives to studying the subject, following a systematic life-span structure, from pre-natal development through to old age in human beings. The Handbook then concludes with a substantive section on the methodological approaches to the study of development, focusing on both qualitative and quantitative techniques. This unique reference work will be hugely influential for anyone needing or wishing for a broad, yet enriched understanding of this fascinating subject. It will be a particularly invaluable resource for academics and researchers in the fields of developmental psychology, education, parenting, cultural and biological psychology and anthropology.
Genetics and the Development of Brain and Behavior
Genetics and the Development of Brain and Behavior
Introduction
The transformation of a single cell, the zygote, into an organism with a complex nervous system and rich repertoire of behaviors is studied by embryologists, neurobiologists, and psychologists. Embryology studies development from the beginning until all the major organ systems are present (Balinsky, 1981), whereas neurobiology examines the organism as nerve cells first emerge in the embryo and then become interconnected (Jacobson, 1991). Behavior, defined as mechanical motion of the organism relative to its surroundings, does not commence until a considerable number of neural connections, especially those with the skeletal muscles, are formed. All of these disciplines seek to discover the mechanisms or processes responsible for rapid and dramatic developmental ...
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