Ongoing Features
Many characteristics of this book have been acclaimed in every edition and continue to shine.
Writing That Communicates the Excitement and Challenge of the Field
An overview of the science of human development should be lively, just as real people are. Each sentence conveys tone as well as content. Chapter-
Coverage of Brain Research
Inclusion of the exciting results from neuroscience is a familiar feature of this book. Brain development is the most obvious example: Every chapter includes a section on the brain, often enhanced with charts and photos. The following list highlights some of this material:
PET scans of brains of a depressed and a non-
depressed person, p. 6; illustrated, p. 6 The three domains of development, p. 7; illustrated, p. 7
Critical periods of development, p. 16
Neuroscience and the limits of Piaget’s developmental theory, pp. 48–
49 Brain scans of adults with ADHD, pp. 49–
50; illustrated, p. 49 Influence of copy number variations on basic brain structures, p. 84
Genetic counseling and psychological disorders, pp. 92–
93 Prenatal growth of the brain, pp. 103–
104; illustrated, p. 105 Teratogenic effects on brain development, pp, 113–
114; illustrated, p. 114 Brain development in the first two years, pp. 142–
147; illustrated, p. 144; p. 146 Experience-
expectant and experience- dependent brain development, pp. 146– 147 xxiii
Factors that can harm brain development, pp. 148–
151 Severe social deprivation: the case of Genie, p. 150
Brain immaturity and cross-
modal perception, p. 159 A View from Science: Piaget and Modern Research, pp. 177–
179 Techniques of infant brain scans, p. 179, illustrated, p. 178
Infant cognition: affordances and memory, pp. 181–
186 Brain developments that support social emotions, pp. 204–
205 The effect of the stress hormone cortisol on the developing brain, p. 204
Genetic influences on temperament, especially the combination of DRD4 VNTR and 5-
HTTLPR genes, p. 211 Brain maturation and synchrony, pp. 213–
214 Attachment and brain development, pp. 215–
221; illustrated, p. 215; p. 216 Brain development in early childhood (prefrontal cortex, myelination, lateralization, the limbic system, stress and the brain), pp. 245–
253; illustrated, p. 246 and p. 252 Abnormal growth of the corpus callosum and ADHD, p. 250
A View from Science: the effect of lead exposure on brain development, pp. 258–
259 Consequences of maltreatment on brain development, p. 270
Maturation of the prefrontal cortex and theory of mind, pp. 287–
288 Cultural differences in executive function among 5-
year- olds, pp. 288– 290 The influence of myelination of the limbic system and growth of the prefrontal cortex in development of emotional regulation, pp. 313–
314 Preventing psychopathology by seeking emotional balance, p. 316
The effects of physical exercise on the brain, p. 353
Brain development in middle childhood, pp. 356–
358 Neurological advances and selective attention, p. 357
Brain scans and intelligence, p. 360
Neurological scans confirm usefulness of information-
processing approach, pp. 381– 382 Memory capabilities by age, pp. 382–
385 Development of control processes in middle childhood, pp. 384–
385 Erikson and Freud’s insights into middle childhood; cognitive maturation, pp. 410–
411 Brain abnormality as a possible factor in bullying, p. 432
The role of the pituitary gland in hormone production, pp. 446–
447; illustrated, p. 447 The role of the brain in regulating circadian rhythms, p. 448
Adolescent brain development; heightened arousal of reward areas of the brain, pp. 462–
464 Proportion of gray matter from childhood through adolescence, illustrated, p. 462
Benefits of adolescent brain development, pp. 464–
465 Dual processing as a result of brain maturation, pp. 487–
488 Risk taking and brain activity, pp. 487–
488; illustrated, p. 488 Cognitive skills the adolescent mind can develop, p. 505
Neurological factors as predictors of delinquency in adolescence, p. 530
Drug use and potential harm to the brain, pp. 534–
535 The impact of alcohol on the adolescent brain, p. 535
Brain development and hormones as factors in risk taking, pp. 545–
546 Brain development and postformal thought, pp. 548–
549 Brain changes from age 14 to age 25, illustrated p. 549
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Coverage of Diversity
Multicultural, international, multiethnic, sexual orientation, wealth, age, gender—all these words and ideas are vital to appreciating how people develop. Research uncovers surprising similarities and notable differences: We have much in common, yet each human is unique. From the discussion of social contexts in Chapter 1 to the coverage of cultural differences in emerging adulthood in the Epilogue, each chapter highlights possibilities and variations.
New research on family structures, immigrants, bilingualism, and ethnic differences in health are among the many topics that illustrate human diversity. Listed here is a smattering of the discussions of culture and diversity in this new edition. Respect for human differences is evident throughout. You will note that examples and research findings from many parts of the world are included, not as add-
Inclusion of all kinds of people in the study of development, pp. 9–
15 Multicontextual considerations in development (SES, cohort, family configuration, etc.), pp. 11–
15 Culture defined; the need to include people of many cultures in developmental study, p. 11
Race and ethnic group defined and discussed (includes Opposing Perspectives), pp. 12–
13 Changes to ethnic make-
up of the United States, illustrated, p. 31 Learning within a culture; cultural transmission, pp. 52–
54 Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, pp. 52–
54 Humanism and Maslow’s hierarchy, pp. 55–
57, illustrated, p. 56 Developmental theories reflecting historical and cultural influences of their time, pp. 57–
61 Variations in breast-
feeding practices around the world, illustrated, p. 63 Genetic variations among people: alleles, p. 68
Male and female sex chromosomes, pp. 71–
72, illustrated, p. 71 Opposing Perspectives: international differences in sex selection, pp. 72–
73 Methods of labor and birth in England, Peru, and the United States, illustrated, p. 106
Rates of cesarean births in selected countries, pp. 108–
109, illustrated, p. 108 Birthing practices in various cultures, pp. 110–
111 Ethnic differences in the allele that causes low folic acid, p. 115
A View from Science: Conflicting advice about teratogens in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada, pp. 117–
118 Immigrant paradox, p. 123
Rates of low birthweight in various countries, pp. 123–
125, illustrated, p. 124 Postpartum depression, p. 128
The father’s role in supporting the mother, pp. 128–
129 Opposing Perspectives: cultural differences in co-
sleeping, pp. 140– 141; rates in various countries, p. 140 Cultural commitment to certain foods and tastes, p. 154
Cultural variations in the time at which walking occurs, pp. 159–
160 Cultural variations in infant mortality rates, pp. 161–
162 A Case to Study: cultural variations in SIDS rates, pp. 162–
163, illustrated, p. 162 Breast-
feeding and HIV- positive women in Africa, pp. 165– 166 xxv
International rates of stunting, pp. 167–
168 Malnutrition: wasting in developing nations, pp. 167–
168 Cultural and family differences in infants’ exposure to language and language use, pp. 190–
193 Understanding of emotional content of English by non-
English speakers, p. 196 Separation anxiety and stranger wariness in Japan and Germany, pp. 205–
206 Cultural differences in emotions encouraged in toddlers, pp. 206–
207 Genetic and gender differences in infant/toddler temperament, p. 211
Ugandan mothers’ contact-
maintaining behaviors, p. 217 Influence of SES on attachment type, p. 219
Outcomes for Romanian orphans adopted by North American, European, and Australian families, p. 220
Gender differences in parental styles, pp. 221–
223 Proximal and distal parenting in Cameroon and Greece, p. 226
International comparisons of infant day-
care differences, pp. 230– 233 Parental leave policies in selected countries, pp. 231–
232, illustrated, p. 232 Differences in the corpus callosum between right-
and left- handed people, p. 247 A View from Science: long-
term symptoms of lead poisoning, p. 258 Chinese cultural views on artistic expression, p. 261
Culture and injury prevention, pp. 265–
266 Study of overimitation in South Africa, Botswana, and Australia, pp. 283–
284 Culture as a determinant of how one thinks and acts (social learning, Vygotsky), p. 284
Cultural differences in development of theory of mind, pp. 287–
289 Bilingualism in various nations; ethnicity and bilingualism in the United States, pp. 295–
296 English proficiency among U.S. children whose home language is not English, illustrated p. 295
Effects of intervention programs on low-
SES children, pp. 303– 305 Various cultures’ goals for emotional regulation in young children, p. 315
Cultural differences in young children’s play, pp. 319–
320 Children’s overexposure to gender and ethnic stereotypes as a result of too much screen time, p. 323
Cultural differences in caregiving styles, p. 326
Sex and gender differences, p. 327
Oedipus and Electra complexes, pp. 328–
329 Influence of cultural norms on children, p. 330
Cultural differences in child discipline, pp. 337–
338 Opposing Perspectives: cultural attitudes towards spanking, p. 338
Rates of childhood obesity around the world, illustrated, p. 352
A View from Science: childhood obesity in the United States by ethnicity; genetic propensity toward obesity and diabetes, pp. 353–
355 Common leisure activities; impact on low-
SES children, pp. 353– 354 Childhood asthma and ethnicity in the United States, pp. 354–
355, illustrated, p. 355 Cultural considerations in IQ testing, p. 360
Consideration of children with special needs, pp. 365–
373 xxvi
Not Victims An outsider might worry that these two boys would be bullied, one because he is African American and the other because he appears to be disabled. But both are well liked for the characteristics shown here: friendliness and willingness to help and be helped.A Case to Study: difficulties in diagnosis of special needs, p. 365
Cultural differences (Vygotsky) and SES differences in schoolage children’s learning, pp. 379–
381 Bilingual education, pp. 387–
389 Academic achievement and SES, pp. 389–
390 Parents’ and teachers’ expectations and academic achievement, pp. 390–
391 Curriculum differences in various countries, pp. 392–
395 Math and reading achievement in various countries, pp. 395–
397, illustrated, p. 396 Gender differences in school performance, pp. 397–
398 Children’s second-
language proficiency: Europe, Africa, Canada, the United States, p. 400 Ethnic diversity in U.S. public schools, pp. 403–
405, illustrated, p. 403 Cultural differences in self-
esteem in middle childhood, pp. 411– 412 Children’s reactions to stress in Louisiana (Hurricane Katrina), Sri Lanka (tsunami), and Sierra Leone (war and child soldiers), pp. 414–
415 Family function within various structures, including families headed by same-
sex couples, pp. 422– 427 Rates of single parenthood around the world, illustrated, p. 423
Effects of SES on family structure and function, pp. 427–
428 Shyness and popularity in North America and China, pp. 430–
431 Gender differences in bullying, p. 432
Efforts to control bullying in various nations, p. 433
Age-
related differences in moral reasoning, pp. 434– 435 Gender differences in children’s retribution/restitution behavior, pp. 437–
438 Influence of body fat on onset of puberty (girls), p. 450
Ethnic differences in onset of puberty, illustrated, p. 451; p. 455
Gender differences in reaction to early or late puberty, pp. 454–
455 Nutritional deficiencies: U.S. ethnic and international examples, pp. 458–
459 Ethnic differences in teen birth rates (U.S.); differences in other nations, p. 469
Condom use among teens in various nations, illustrated, p. 471
Age differences in logical thinking, pp. 476–
481 Opposing Perspectives: Testing: comparison of international scores on PISA, p. 502
Formation of ethnic identity, p. 512
Formation of gender identity, p. 513
Cultural differences in adolescents’ relationships with adults, pp. 516–
517 Adolescent sexual orientation and same-
sex relationships, p. 523, illustrated, p. 524 Differences in sex education, United States and Europe, pp. 524–
526 Gender, ethnicity, and age differences in self-
esteem in adolescence, pp. 526- 527 Genetic and gender differences in risk of depression, pp. 527–
528 Gender differences in rates of teen parasuicide and suicide, pp. 528–
529, illustrated, p. 528 International comparisons: adolescent use of alcohol and cigarettes, pp. 532–
533 xxvii
Differences in teen drug use by age, gender, and generation, pp. 532–
535 The effect of globalization on the spread of infectious diseases, including STIs, p. 546
Differences in substance abuse, by age, pp. 547–
548, illustrated, p. 548 A View from Science: Stereotype Threat, p. 550
Ethnic diversity in college, illustrated, p. 555
Up-to-Date Coverage
My mentors welcomed curiosity, creativity, and skepticism; as a result, I am eager to read and analyze thousands of articles and books on everything from autism to zygosity. The recent explosion of research in neuroscience and genetics has challenged me, once again, first to understand and then to explain many complex findings and speculative leaps. My students continue to ask questions and share their experiences, always providing new perspectives and concerns.
Topical Organization Within a Chronological Framework
The book’s basic organization has endured. Four chapters begin the book with coverage of definitions, theories, genetics, and prenatal development. These chapters provide a developmental foundation and explain the life-
The other four parts correspond to the major periods of development. Each part contains three chapters, one for each of three domains: biosocial, cognitive, and psychosocial. The topical organization within a chronological framework is a useful scaffold for students’ understanding of the interplay between age and domain.
Three Series of Integrated Features
Three series of deeper discussions appear as integral parts of the text where they are relevant. Readers of earlier editions will remember A Case to Study and A View from Science; new to this edition is the Opposing Perspectives feature. It is my belief that these features belong as part of the text, and hence they are placed exactly where they are relevant. I chose not to have separate chapters or boxes on diversity or abnormal development, because these topics are not discrete: They are integral to understanding every child.
End-of-Chapter Summary
Each chapter ends with a summary, a list of key terms (with page numbers indicating where the word is introduced and defined), and three or four application exercises designed to help students apply concepts to everyday life. The outline on the first page of each chapter, the new learning objectives, and the system of major and minor subheads facilitate the survey-
A “Summing Up” feature at the end of each section provides an opportunity for students to pause and reflect on what they’ve just read. Observation Quizzes inspire readers to look more closely at certain photographs, tables, and figures. The “Especially for …” questions in the margins, many of which are new to this edition, apply concepts to real-
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Photographs, Tables, and Graphs That Are Integral to the Text
Students learn a great deal from this book’s illustrations because Worth Publishers encourages authors to choose the photographs, tables, and graphs and to write captions that extend the content. The Online Data Connections further this process by presenting numerous charts and tables that contain detailed data for further study.