Describes the fundamental conflict between the implications of sociobiology and the aspirations of humanists. Sociobiology tends to rationalize and defend special privileges for the powerful few, while humanism stresses equality of opportunity. Journal availability: see SO 507 272. (Author)

Argues that developmental psychologists need attitudes, methods, and conceptual schemes that integrate the distinctive contributions of both nature and nurture in order to study change and consistency in developmental functions, as well as individual differences in behaviors of interest. A conceptual scheme for early mental development is…

Studies of a biological basis of social behavior have involved biologists in emotional debate. The author outlines the controversy surrounding one sociobiologist, Edward Wilson, and questions the charge that such research should not be conducted because of its potential for abuse. Condensed from "Smithsonian" magazine, September 1980,…

Discusses limitations of using behavioral genetic methods for understanding the environmental effects of poverty. Multiple methods provide strong evidence that poverty and related experiences influence children's development through environmental processes that go beyond genetically transmitted attributes. Socioeconomic status is a function of…

This article discusses the role of health educators and the principles which should guide their practice. Health educators are advised to remain vigilant in not misinterpreting research data. (IAH)

Discussion of the nature/nurture controversy in giftedness concludes that giftedness has a strong hereditary basis that is greatly influenced by educational experiences. The importance of the affective domain is also stressed. Some specific suggestions are offered to help students nurture themselves and to help parents and teachers nurture others.…

The introduction to this special issue on nature-nurture interactions notes that the following articles represent five biologically oriented research approaches which each provide a tutorial on the investigator's major research tool, a summary of current research understandings regarding language and learning differences, and a discussion of…

In the latter part of last year a Macquarie University academic aroused outrage with his comments over the supposed links between race and criminality. For his colleagues and the union alike, the case provided a difficult example of the clash of shared academic values and the right to speak. Here four participants in the controversy-- from NTEU's…

Argues that the nature-nurture controversy, stemming from Arthur Jensen's hereditarian analysis of group differences in measured intelligence, presupposes a false dichotomy and a conception of the environment that is too narrow. Discusses effective features of compensatory education programs, including supplemental instruction, testing,…

Reasserts criticism of much psychomedical research on sex differences in terms of the researchers' failure to consider important sociological factors, their drawing of firm conclusions from inadequate data, and the vast social and political consequences of their work. (CMG)

Critiques an environmentalist view of the effects of nature and nurture on behavior. Argues for an interactionist position in which nature and nurture are totally and inextricably involved in each and every organismic response. (MP)

Responds to Huston, McLoyd, and Coll's critique by indicating agreement with many observations about the complexity of poverty and the need for research designs providing stronger causal inferences. Maintains that the authors underestimate contributions that behavior genetic research designs can make toward understanding poverty and that they…

The 1994 publication of "The Bell Curve" by R. Herrnstein and C. Murray is compared to other examples of eugenic principles, including the sterilization of "feebleminded" Carrie Buck, family degeneracy studies focusing on lower class Caucasian families, and other works that view the poorest and least educated members of society…

Evaluates John B. Watson's contributions to developmental psychology. Watson's insistence on objective methodology in psychology retains its influence, but his extreme environmentalism has been rejected. His concern with the principles of learning is reflected in the work of Hull and Skinner. (BC)

Rebuts the Burgess and Molenaar commentary in this issue on the authors' paper concerning sociobiology and human development, maintaining that genes (nature) cannot usefully be construed as independent of the coactional developmental system of which they are a part. (BB)