Document Type

Book Chapter

Publication Date

4-25-2025

Keywords

adolescent, epigenesis, human development, identity, preformationism, social identity theory

Disciplines

Developmental Psychology

Abstract

Views about the manner and nature of human development have changed across time (Psyking.net 2016). Some of these views have been religious (e.g., creationism) and some of these views have been more biological (e.g., preformationism).  Regardless of the focus of the view, how we believe human beings develop has a profound effect on our expectations for those beings.  One early view of human development from a biological perspective was Preformationism.  This is explained as, “A notion that was widespread among pioneer biologists in the 18th century was that the fetus, and hence the adult organism that develops from it, is preformed in the sex cells. Some early microscopists even imagined that they saw a tiny homunculus, a diminutive human figure, encased in the human spermatozoon” (Brittanica.com 2016).  If this is the notion we hold about human development, then we would be unlikely to consider development to occur in phases or stages and assume, instead, that development is simply a maturation process – eat food and grow bigger and stronger.

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