Blume, L. B., & Zembar, M. J. (2007). Middle childhood to middle adolescence. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson [Vital Source e-reader].

Chapter 1, "Studying Middle Childhood and Adolescence"y of Development

In this week's Learning Resources, three developmental issues are identified: nature-nurture, stability-change, and continuity-discontinuity. As the Learning Resources point out, few developmentalists take an extreme stance on any of these issues.

Most acknowledge that both nature and nurture, stability and change, and continuity and discontinuity influence and characterize human development to some degree. However, the extent of the influence of each factor on development remains a topic of debate.

In this Discussion, you will consider the information in the Learning Resources as you develop and articulate your stance on these three central issues. Reflect on the following:

To what degree do you think nature influences development, particularly in comparison to the influence of nurture?

Do you think that stability supersedes change in development, or vice versa?

To what extent do you view development as continuous and/or discontinuous?

With these thoughts in mind, follow the instructions below to post your response to this Discussion topic.

Post a brief description of your stance on nature-nurture, stability-change, and continuity-discontinuity, explaining to what degree you think each factor affects human development and why. Be sure to use the Learning Resources to support your response.