ABSTRACT

This book would not be complete without squarely confronting the most vexing question that developmental scientists face in their attempts to fathom the genetic and experiential forces that shape the relationship among brain, mind, and behavior. This question has to do with how natural, biological, and cultural processes acquire value and how modifications in individual development are proven to be desirable or eventuate in consequences that are considered detrimental to individuals or societies. Of course, we do not possess the power to radically change our phenotype at will, as the human species has evolved as a result of millions of years of adaptations in our mammalian ancestry. Nevertheless, advances in the biological and biomedical sciences are making it possible to accelerate the pace of evolution by producing technologies that alter our individual genetic makeup, physical features, physiology, and even our moods in ways that may change the degree of variability within the species as a whole (Blank, 1999; McKinney, 2000).