The Dependent Gene: The Fallacy of Nature Vs. Nurture - Paperback

by David S. Moore (Author)

A masterful guide to human development that redefines the nature versus nurture debate

A much-needed antidote to genetic determinism, The Dependent Gene reveals how all traits-even characteristics like eye and hair color-are caused by complex interactions between genes and the environment at every stage of biological and psychological development, from the single fertilized egg to full-grown adulthood.

How we understand the nature versus nurture debate directly affects our thoughts about such basic issues as sex and reproduction, parenting, education, and crime, and has an enormous impact on social policy. With life-and-death questions in the balance surrounding stem-cell research, cloning, and DNA fingerprinting, we can no longer afford to be ignorant of human development. An enlightening guide to this brave new world, The Dependent Gene empowers us to take control of our own destiny.

Author Biography

David S. Moore is a professor of psychology at Pitzer College. He received his Ph.D. in developmental and biological psychology from Harvard University. A developmental cognitive neuroscientist with expertise in infant cognition, his theoretical writings have explored the contributions of genetic, environmental, and epigenetic factors to human development. His book The Dependent Gene has been widely adopted for use in undergraduate education and was nominated for the Cognitive Development Society's Best Authored Volume award. His book The Developing Genome won both the William James Book Award and the Eleanor Maccoby Book Award from the American Psychological Association, recognizing a book expected to have a profound effect on developmental psychology. Dr. Moore has served on the consulting editorial board for Child Development Perspectives and has been the editor of special issues of New Ideas in Psychology, Developmental Psychobiology, and Infant Behavior and Development. From 2016 - 2018, Dr. Moore served as the Director of the U.S. National Science Foundation's Developmental Sciences Program in Washington, D.C. He was elected a Fellow of the American Psychological Association in 2021.