Since the beginning of thinking about the mind and behavior, philosophers and doctors have been arguing about whether our abilities and choices are determined by our biology (“they are from a bad family”) or our experiences (“they have had a hard life.”) Many contemporary researchers believe it is both, and the distinction between the two (biology and experience) becomes blurry at the finer points of the research. For example, it is not clear if language is inherited or learned, it looks as if it is both inherited, in some ways, and learned, in others.
Most agree that experiences shape our behavior. Some aspects seem clearly defined and observable. From birth to adolescence, we can recognize a progression of mental ability. A healthy infant grows from basic reflexes. Soon they are experimenting with the physical properties of the world until they are able to reason concretely, then abstractly. Over time they increase their ability to organize their experiences and use strategies to solve problems.
In order to progress, children require experience. First, they need ideas (categories), then they need information that contradicts their ideas (sharpening the original categories). If they are provided with new, refined ideas which they can understand and fit better with reality (better than the original categories), they are moving forward.
It is very clear that if a child lacks interaction with new experiences they will not develop. This is not about money or stuff. Interactions with you, as a parent, look to be significantly more effective than with objects (or people on YouTube.)
Up Next: Behavioral Therapy & The Law of Effect
