The Biological Implausibility of the Nature-Nurture Dichotomy and What It Means for the Study of Infancy

Lewkowicz, David J.

doi:10.1111/j.1532-7078.2011.00079.x

Cited by 96 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 121 publications

(230 reference statements)

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“…Previous investigations of infant social evaluation (40,41) have relied on researcher-coded looking behavior, wherein the specificity of an infant's visual fixations is limited. Some have argued that the resulting visual preference data and procedures vary across studies (20). The use of eye-tracking technologies in infants has become more commonplace, allowing for an expanded scope in testing, but is challenging to use (44).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the domain of morality, some argue that infants and toddlers possess a "moral sense" based on core knowledge of the social world (18), and others suggest that social evaluations are hierarchical in nature and the product of an integration of rudimentary general processes such as attention and approach and avoidance (19). Moreover, the development of these biologically prepared minds is embedded in and dependent upon specific dynamic social environments that are highly variable (20).…”

Section: Significancementioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Precursors to morality in development as a complex interplay between neural, socioenvironmental, and behavioral facets

Cowell

Decety

2015

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

197

160

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The nature and underpinnings of infants’ seemingly complex, third-party, social evaluations remain highly contentious. Theoretical perspectives oscillate between rich and lean interpretations of the same expressed preferences. Although some argue that infants and toddlers possess a “moral sense” based on core knowledge of the social world, others suggest that social evaluations are hierarchical in nature and the product of an integration of rudimentary general processes such as attention allocation and approach and avoidance. Moreover, these biologically prepared minds interact in social environments that include significant variation, which are likely to impact early social evaluations and behavior. The present study examined the neural underpinnings of and precursors to moral sensitivity in infants and toddlers (n = 73, ages 12–24 mo) through a series of interwoven measures, combining multiple levels of analysis including electrophysiological, eye-tracking, behavioral, and socioenvironmental. Continuous EEG and time-locked event-related potentials (ERPs) and gaze fixation were recorded while children watched characters engaging in prosocial and antisocial actions in two different tasks. All children demonstrated a neural differentiation in both spectral EEG power density modulations and time-locked ERPs when perceiving prosocial or antisocial agents. Time-locked neural differences predicted children’s preference for prosocial characters and were influenced by parental values regarding justice and fairness. Overall, this investigation casts light on the fundamental nature of moral cognition, including its underpinnings in general processes such as attention and approach–withdrawal, providing plausible mechanisms of early change and a foundation for forward movement in the field of developmental social neuroscience.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Significancementioning

confidence: 99%

Precursors to morality in development as a complex interplay between neural, socioenvironmental, and behavioral facets

Cowell

Decety

2015

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

197

160

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The consistent and early manifestation of these skills suggests they may be subject to a stereotypical timeline of development, strongly tied to maturational and experience-driven processes in the first few weeks of life (12,13). To investigate whether or not the development of these skills is time-bound, we need to examine whether their timeline can be significantly delayed beyond the normal window of deployment.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Emergence of categorical face perception after extended early-onset blindness

Gandhi

Singh

Swami

et al. 2017

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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It is unknown whether the ability to visually distinguish between faces and nonfaces is subject to a critical period during development. Would a congenitally blind child who gains sight several years after birth be able to acquire this skill? This question has remained unanswered because of the rarity of cases of late sight onset. We had the opportunity to work with five early-blind individuals who gained sight late in childhood after treatment for dense bilateral cataracts. We tested their ability to categorize patterns as faces, using natural images that spanned a spectrum of face semblance. The results show that newly sighted individuals are unable to distinguish between faces and nonfaces immediately after sight onset, but improve markedly in the following months. These results demonstrate preserved plasticity for acquiring face/ nonface categorization ability even late in life, and set the stage for investigating the informational and neural basis of this skill acquisition.face classification | blindness | visual learning | sight restoration | plasticity

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“…In this contextual view, genes are addressed as "catalysts" more than "codes" (Elman et al, 1996), "followers" rather than "leaders" (West-Eberhard, 2003), "embedded inside cells and their complex chemical environments" that are, in turn, embedded in organs, systems and societies (Lewkowicz, 2011). As Meaney emblematically writes: the function of the gene can only be fully understood in terms of the cellular environment in which it operates.…”

Section: Sources and Boundaries Of Epigeneticsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Scrutinizing the Epigenetics Revolution

Meloni¹,

Testa²

2018

The Palgrave Handbook of Biology and Society

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Epigenetics is one of the most rapidly expanding fields in the life sciences. Its rise is frequently framed as a revolutionary turn that heralds a new epoch both for gene-based epistemology and for the wider discourse on life that pervades knowledge-intensive societies of the molecular age. The fundamentals of this revolution remain however to be scrutinized, and indeed the very contours of what counts as 'epigenetic' are often blurred. This is reflected also in the mounting discourse on the societal implications of epigenetics, in which vast expectations coexist with significant uncertainty about what aspects of this science are most relevant for politics or policy alike. This is therefore a suitable time to reflect on the directions that social theory could most productively take in the scrutiny of this revolution. Here we take this opportunity in both its scholarly and normative dimension, that is, proposing a roadmap for social theorizing on epigenetics that does not shy away from, and indeed hopefully guides, the framing of its most socially relevant outputs. To this end, we start with an epistemological reappraisal of epigenetic discourse that valorizes the blurring of meanings as a critical asset for the field and privileged analytical entry point. We then propose three paths of investigation. The first looks at the structuring elements of controversies and visions around epigenetics. The second probes the mutual constitution between the epigenetic reordering of living phenomena and the normative settlements that orient individual and collective responsibilities. The third highlights the material import of epigenetics and the molecularization of culture that it mediates. We suggest that these complementary strands provide both an epistemically and socially self-reflective framework to advance the study of epigenetics as a molecular juncture between nature and nurture and thus as the new critical frontier in the social studies of the life sciences.

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The Biological Implausibility of the Nature-Nurture Dichotomy and What It Means for the Study of Infancy

Cited by 96 publications

References 121 publications

Precursors to morality in development as a complex interplay between neural, socioenvironmental, and behavioral facets

Precursors to morality in development as a complex interplay between neural, socioenvironmental, and behavioral facets

Emergence of categorical face perception after extended early-onset blindness

Scrutinizing the Epigenetics Revolution

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