Jerome Kagan is emeritus professor of psychology at Harvard University and one of the pioneers in the field of developmental psychology. As the author of numerous books including The Nature of the Child (1984), he received the William James Award and Distinguished Scientist Award from the American Psychological Association. This scholarly work brings together a potpourri of essays about the ever-expanding field of human development.
Kagan provides insights into the latest theories and resources in the field with material from environmental studies, neurobiology, cognitive psychology, and molecular biology. He begins with evaluations of the factors having an impact on children's temperament including social class, parental practices, culture, size of community, and birth order.
In the last four chapters Kagan presents his thoughts on human morality and the relationship between bodily feelings and human emotional states. He also addresses the changing state of mental illness. Anyone interested in these topics will want to have this eminent professor as a tour guide through the field of human development!
