ABSTRACT
Developmental social neuroscience The structure and function of the brain, and the neurons within it, are not resolutely fixed at birth according to a predetermined blueprint. Being part of a socially enriched environment affects both the structural and functional development of the brain (e.g. Branchi et al., 2006; Chugani et al., 2001). Cells and pathways in the brain may whither or grow depending on the quality and quantity of social interactions during development. As such, brain-level explanations – such as those being developed in the field of developmental social neuroscience – offer an exciting opportunity for resolving the nature-nurture debate. The brain is the organ in which gene-based influences (‘nature’) and environment-based influences (‘nurture’) come together. Traditionally within developmental science this has been construed as a series of interactions between a child’s ability to understand and engage with the environment coupled with the suitability of the environment for providing the appropriate inputs. For example, the eminent developmental psychologist Jean Piaget (1896-1980) considered development as progressing through various stages: the structure of the stages was construed as largely predetermined, but successful passage to the next stage required appropriate interactions between the child and the environment.
