The Development of the Person : The Minnesota Study of Risk and Adaptation From Birth to Adulthood

The definitive work on a groundbreaking study, this essential volume provides a coherent picture of the complexity of development from birth to adulthood. Explicated are both the methodology of the Minnesota study and its far-reaching contributions to understanding how we become who we are. The book marshals a vast body of data on the ways in which individuals' strengths and vulnerabilities are shaped by myriad influences, including early experiences, family and peer relationships throughout childhood and adolescence, variations in child characteristics and abilities, and socioeconomic conditions. Implications for clinical intervention and prevention are also addressed. Rigorously documented and clearly presented, the study's findings elucidate the twists and turns of individual pathways, illustrating as never before the ongoing interplay between developing children and their environments. "The definitive work on a groundbreaking longitudinal study, this volume provides a coherent picture of the nature of development from birth to adulthood. Explained are both the methodology of the Minnesota Study and its far-reaching contributions to understanding how we become who we are. Shedding new light on both positive development and maladaptation, the book is written by the researchers themselves. It is provocative, insightful, and informative reading for anyone studying or working with infants, children, and families."--Jacket. The question of how individuals become the persons they are has intrigued developmental researchers and clinicians alike, and no wonder.