Provided by David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D.
Surgeon General of the United States of America
Chapter 2
Overview of Development, Temperament, and Risk Factors
How we come to be the way we are is through the process of
development. Generally defined as the lifelong process of growth, maturation,
and change, development is the product of the elaborate interplay of biological,
psychological, and social influences. By studying development, researchers hope
to uncover the origins of both mental health and mental illness.
This section elaborates and extends concepts introduced above regarding the
fundamental workings of the brain at different developmental stages. It then
proceeds to explain several seminal theories of development pioneered by Jean
Piaget, Erik Erikson, and John Bowlby. Their theories cover cognitive
development, personality development, and social development, respectively,
although there is some overlap. Their major works, published in the 1950s and
1960s, were pivotal for the psychological and social sciences, galvanizing a
huge body of theoretical and empirical research. However, with the advancements
of science and the diversity of the population, these models may not apply to
all groups without some adaptation for cultural context. The section concludes
with a reminder that the brain is the “great synthesizer” of the many
biological, psychological, and sociocultural phenomena that make us who we are.
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