According to David Shenk, "Dynamic development is why human biology is a jukebox with many potential tunes - not specific built in instructions for a certain kind of life, but a built in capacity for a variety of possible lives" (33).
Following this view, psychologist John Watson's claim of "Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in and I'll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select" holds more truth.
Furthermore, dynamic development also helps to back Rousseau's explanation of tabula rasa in which each person is born with a blank slate and able to gain knowledge from experience and perception.
In what ways can dynamic development be seen as a natural progression of the ideas of both Rousseau and Watson, and how is it a completely new idea all together. Furthermore, how might the ability to adapt to a number of circumstances have played a part in evolution; is it possible dynamic development is actually a result of evolution?
(Jacob Yomtoob, jakeyomtoob@gmail.com)
Each of these three ideas are more advanced versions of each other. The most basic of the ideas is Locke's tabula rasa, which states that any human begins life as a blank slate. From here, the blank slate is written on through experience. Watson's idea takes the notion of tabula rasa a step further. Watson states that any infant is capable of mastery in any field with proper training. In other words, not only are infants a blank slate, but the blank slate is capable of being filled with experiences that lead to mastery of a skill. Furthermore, every infant has this capability, it is not unique.
ReplyDeleteDynamic development encompasses both of these ideas, but also takes it a step further. In dynamic development, environmental factors shape genes. Not only this, but any human can achieve mastery of a skill through practice and self-discipline. This supports both Watson and Locke. However, the ideas of Dynamic development and Locke diverge. In tabula rasa, environmental factors contribute to who a person becomes. All of these factors chisel the characteristics of a person into the tablet. While tabula rasa is a slate and chisel, dynamic development is a dry erase board. In dynamic development, environmental factors are constantly adding to characteristics. For example, constant mental stimulation can cause an epigenetic change that leads to increased intelligence. This fits with the ideas of tabula rasa. However, in dynamic development what is written can also be erased. If there is no mental stimulation for a long period of time, intelligence can be lost. With this, environmental factors are leading a skill being removed from a human. In essence, wiping away from the dry erase board. In dynamic development, environmental factors cause change that can add to the dry erase board, and also remove from it.
According to UC-Berkely's page on evolution, evolution is defined as "descent with modification". Dynamic development would play a huge role in the modification of genes through generations. From birth until death, genes are interacting with the environment. As David Shenk put it, "genes and the environment are as inseparable and inextricable as letters in a word or parts in a car"(33). Because of this, animals do not simply adapt through generations, but also within a single lifetime. While adaptations in a single lifetime are not as drastic as adaptations through generations, both are important. These small changes in a single lifetime that result from dynamic development are amplified through the generations, leading to larger changes in a species. In Campbell, in figure 22.4 (454) it says that "acquired traits cannot be inherited". This statement supports the ideas of more static genes. I believe that Campbell is correct on the surface only. If genes are constantly changing, then these changes would also be passed on to future generations. The change in the offspring would be very minimal however. This is why Campbell would make this statement. In both evolution and dynamic development changes can be invisible to the external viewer. However, the changes undoubtedly exist, and can be seen over many generations.
Link to UC-Berkeley page:http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/0_0_0/evo_02
Jonah May (Jonah 2020@aol.com)