Child Development: Perspectives in Developmental Psychology

The first of its kind in Canada, Child Development: Perspectives in Developmental Psychology is a new topical introduction to child development, focusing on the psychological development of infants and children, with some treatment of adolescents. Written by Canadian professor M.D. Rutherford, the text covers all of the classic areas of developmental psychology, including a historical look at developmental psychology, important theories and methods (past and present), perceptual development, cognitive development, language development, moral development, and social development.

In addition, the text provides a comprehensive introduction that places a greater emphasis, although not an exclusive one, on evolutionary perspectives, drawing parallels and contrasts with an evolutionary perspective on developmental psychology, highlighting research that is consistent with what is known about evolution by natural selection.

Unique to this text is a critical discussion deconstructing the 'nature versus nurture' question in developmental psychology. Although the question is a classic question, dating back to the earliest writings about human development, our current thinking about development makes the 'nature versus nurture' question unanswerable: nature and nurture necessarily work together in development. As M.D. Rutherford states, 'Without genes there is nothing that develops, and without the necessary environmental input, there is nothing that develops; every person and every trait of every person is a result of a genetic and environmental interaction'.

Dr. M.D. Rutherford is Canada research chair in social perceptual development and associate professor in the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour at McMaster University.