The Nature-Nurture Debate The Essential Readings

Will a child who is genetically male, but raised female as a result of a surgical accident during infancy, grow up to identify as female? Do all children have the wherewithal to become expert musicians if provided with the same opportunities for extensive practice, or are there genetically determined constraints that no amount of practice can countermand? These are just two of the provocative questions addressed in The Nature-Nurture Debate: The Essential Readings.No issue is more central to the field of developmental psychology than the nature-nurture debate. Its resolution promises to have profound implications for the way we view children's behavior, and the nature and malleability of their temperament, personality, intelligence, and gender identity. Stephen J. Ceci and Wendy M. Williams have gathered together fourteen of the most scientifically compelling papers, each introduced by the editors, which not only provide an authoritative resource, but will also serve to stimulate meaningful classroom discussion about the most important developmental issue of our time.

Stephen J. Ceci holds a lifetime endowed chair in child development at Cornell University. He studies the accuracy of children's courtroom testimony, as well as the development of intelligence and memory. His previous books include On Intelligence: A Bio-Ecological Treatise (1996).

Wendy M. Williams is an Associate Professor in the Department of Human Development at Cornell University, where she studies children's learning, development and creativity, adult problem solving, and practical intelligence. her previous books include The Reluctant Reader (1996).