Natural Environment and Early Human Development Essay

In order to support the idea of nurture influences on early human development, psychologists have done some researches on several factors of early human development. One of these factors is motor development. All children go through the same stages which begin with rolling over and end by walking. However, it seems that motor behaviours can be improved by practice or encouragement. This belief is supported by Zelazo and Kolb (1972) who did an experiment where infants, who were given stepping practice during the first two months, began walking five to seven weeks earlier than babies who had no practice. Such a result can be considered as an environmental influence. Another factor, which has been researched, is speech development. Speech can be improved by more talking with babies or rewarding them for making speech sounds. Kagan (1979) claimed that children, who were reared in middle-class American homes, begin to speak one year earlier than children reared in some villages such as San Marcos due to the fact that these children, culturally, have little â€Å"verbal interaction† with adults. This research assures the importance of the environments, nurture, in early human development. In conclusion, psychologists and scientist have been arguing as to whether nature or nurture has more influence on early human development. As a result both heredity or the nature and environment or nurture are important factors in shaping human personality, but environment is the more important one. Because nature only goes so far whereas further growth and development is formed by the environment’s influence on early human development.