ABSTRACT
Michael Lewis Institute for the Study of Child Development Robert Wood Johnson Medical School-UMDNJ
INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES AND DEVELOPMENTAL MODELS
others appear irritable and cry, some are readily soothed, and others show little irritability. Where do such differences come from? It seems reasonable to assume that these newborn children have not been influenced yet by particular caregiving styles. These individual differences, noticed by many, appear to be related to characteristics which predate direct socializing experience. Two possible expla nations can be offered to explain these observed early differences in behavior. We call these prenatal environment and genetic temperament factors.
