Who stressed the importance of early childhood experience in forming our personality and shaping our behavior?

As mentioned in the prior section, babies' temperaments are generally assumed to be genetically determined. However, babies' biologically determined temperaments are just a starting point.  Clearly, babies do not grow up independently.  Instead, babies are quite dependent upon their caregivers for their very survival. These frequent interactions with parents or other caregivers have special significance.  It is the emotional tone of these social interactions with caregivers, shaped by the "fit" between babies' temperaments and parents' personalities, that  further influences the development of babies' personalities.  This interaction between baby and caregiver provides a good example of how natural and nurturant forces interact with one another to influence personality development. Let's examine this bi-directional interaction a little more closely. 

Infants demonstrate different temperaments from the moment they are born. Some infants are highly sensitive. They react swiftly and sharply to environmental stimuli, such as a bright light in their eyes, or a loud noise. Other infants react to these same stimuli more slowly, and without much interest. It is these sorts of differences that enable researchers to conclude that babies are born with different, genetically-determined, temperaments.

Children's temperaments will also influence how their caregivers respond to them. You can imagine that the highly sensitive, reactant babies will elicit a different response from their environment (caregivers) than will less reactant, more even-tempered babies.  For example, a calm and placid baby is more likely to get picked up and cuddled more affectionately than an anxious and irritable baby.  Of course, these different environmental responses will, in turn, affect the emotional development of each child.  Many child development specialists agree that healthy personality development has a lot to do with the match between infants' temperaments and their caregivers' dispositions.

Well-matched sets of infants and caregivers are characterized by an abundance of positively-toned interactions between caregiver and child. These pleasant emotional exchanges are thought to produce fewer negative personality outcomes.  In contrast, poorly-matched sets, characterized by an abundance of negatively-toned interactions, with unpleasant emotional exchanges, predict a more negative effect on personality development. 

A large body of research and clinical observation additionally supports the idea that childhood experiences play an important role in the development of personality traits and personality disorders.  Traumatic childhood experiences, such as physical, sexual, or emotional abuse and neglect, have been identified as risk factors that increase the likelihood a personality disorder may develop (Johnson, Bromley, & McGeoch, 2005). Other adverse experiences in childhood may also heighten people's risk for developing features of a personality disorder. Some examples are: the death of a parent; the separation or divorce of parents; the lack of parental affection; poor family communication; a harsh and controlling parenting style; or exposure to assaultive bullying.

The relationship between adverse childhood experiences and personality disorders is complex. While exposure to these events does heighten the likelihood that a personality disorder will develop, it is not the case that all abused, or otherwise stressed children go on to develop personality disorders. This observation suggests that multiple risk factors (both genetic and environmental) must occur in some specific combination so as to overwhelm a child's system and cause them to later develop a personality disorder. It also suggests that various protective factors may exist that function to limit the negative effects of significant trauma and adversity. Access to social support and social involvement are the primary factors that appear to serve this protective function (Johnson, Bromley, & McGeoch, 2005). Generally speaking, abused or otherwise stressed children tend to have better outcomes when they have access to nurturing and supportive relationships with secondary caregivers who demonstrate the affection, warmth, and empathy that is lacking in their home (e.g., grandparents, neighbors, teachers, coaches, clergy, etc.).

“Learning starts in infancy, long before formal education begins, and continues throughout life. Early learning begets later learning and early success breeds later success, just as early failure breeds later failure.” – James J. Heckman

“ECD has taken its place in the economic literature besides schooling, on the job training, public health and informal learning.” – David Dodge

“A wide range of policies, including those directed toward early care and education, primary health care, child protective services, adult mental health, and family economic supports, among many others, can promote the safe, supportive environments and stable, caring relationships that children need.” – Jack P. Shonkoff

“The early years of human development establish the basic architecture and function of the brain.” – J. Fraser Mustard

"The interplay of the developing brain with the environment is the driving force of development." – Clyde Hertzman

"The Convention of the Rights of the Child was adopted far more quickly and broadly than any previous human rights treaty." – Gary B. Melton

What do we know?

Human capital interventions should include, in addition to cognition and “academic smarts”, social adaptability and motivation. – James J. Heckman

Neglecting investment in good health (pre and post conception), good nutrition, good parenting, strong social support and stimulative interaction with others outside the home reduces the value of investment in other areas. – David Dodge

“From pregnancy through early childhood, all of the environments in which children live and learn, and the quality of their relationships with adults and caregivers, have a significant impact on their cognitive, emotional and social development.” – Jack P. Shonkoff

“We now know that nurture in early life as well as nature is important in early human development and that nurture in the early years has major effects on learning in school and physical and mental health throughout the life cycle.” – J. Fraser Mustard

"The competencies and skills fostered through ECD programs are not limited to cognitive gains, but also include physical, social and emotional gains - all of which are determinants of health over the life course." – Clyde Hertzman

"The child’s right to personality is meaningful from the moment of birth." – Gary B. Melton

What can be done?

“As a society, we cannot afford to postpone investing in children until they become adults, nor can we wait until they reach school age – a time when it may be too late to intervene. The best evidence supports the policy prescription: invest in the very young and improve basic learning and socialisation skills.” – James J. Heckman

“Public investment in human capital should be directed towards the very young but the way these investments should be directed in order to be productive is far less clear.” – David Dodge

“The basic principles of neuroscience indicate that providing supportive conditions for early childhood development is more effective and less costly than attempting to address the consequences of early adversity later.” – Jack P. Shonkoff

“…epigenetic effects initiated during early development can be prevented or reversed by good nutrition and stimulation.” – J. Fraser Mustard

"National policy and economic factors are significant for ECD. Although child development tends to be more successful in wealthy than poor countries, the priority given to children in social policy can overcome national poverty in child developmental outcomes." – Clyde Hertzman

"The U.N. Committee emphasized the need for public investment in services for young children, not just school-aged children, and in related data collection, research and training for parents and professionals involved in young children’s care and education." – Gary B. Melton

Which theorists emphasizes early childhood experiences in the development of personality disorders?

What did Freud say about childhood?

Who claimed that behavior is affected by reinforcement?

Who was the first person referred to as a psychologist?