Beyond Heredity And Environment

The ongoing controversies over Myrtle McGraw's pioneering research on infant development and learning are critically examined in this book. It introduces McGraw's most cogent work and addresses popular misconceptions by clarifying her principles of development.

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The ongoing controversies over Myrtle McGraws pioneering research on infant development and learning are critically examined in this book. Prominent researchers and scholars introduce McGraws most cogent workincluding five previously unpublished essaysand address popular misconceptions by clarifying her principles of development. Dalton and Bergenn show how McGraw, in collaboration with John Dewey and other noted scientists, obviated the debate over nature and nurture by introducing innovative methods to understand the complex but integrated processes of growth and development. }Myrtle McGraws pioneering contributions to the field of child development have been readily acknowledged and documented, yet controversy persists among psychologists as to how to interpret her ideas about significant factors that influence learning. This collection includes some of McGraws most cogent work, including five previously unpublished essays that address misconceptions and clarify her principles of development.
These essays demonstrate that McGraw conceived of development as a continuous interaction between neural and behavioral growth processes that could not be reduced to either heredity or environment.The editors document McGraws little-known collaboration in the 1930s with John Dewey and several other notable scientists. Dewey believed their research promised to revolutionize work in the field of child study. Their collaboration brings to light new evidence that McGraws work made use of novel methods to study developmental behavior and enabled Dewey to examine the origin and role of judgment in inquiry. Five other contributors discuss specific issues and episodes that illuminate why McGraws scientific innovations remain pertinent to researchers in infant motor development. }