Developmental psychobiology is an interdisciplinary field, encompassing developmental psychology, biological psychology, neuroscience and many other areas of biology. The field covers all phases of ontogeny, with particular emphasis on prenatal, perinatal and early childhood development. Conducting research into basic aspects of development, for example, the development of infant attachment, sleep, eating, thermoregulation, learning and attention, occupies most developmental psychobiologists. At the same time, they are actively engaged in research on applied problems such as sudden infant death syndrome, the development and care of the preterm infant, autism, and the effects of various prenatal insults (e.g., maternal stress, alcohol exposure) on the development of brain and behavior.

Developmental psychobiologists employ and integrate both biological and psychological concepts and methods (cf. Michel & Moore, 1995) and have historically been highly concerned with the interrelation between ontogeny and phylogeny (or individual development and evolutionary processes; see, e.g., Blumberg, 2002, 2005; Gottlieb, 1991).

Developmental psychobiologists also tend to be systems thinkers, avoiding the reification of artificial dichotomies (e.g., "nature" vs. "nurture"). Many developmental psychobiologists thus take exception both to the favored methods and theoretical underpinnings of fields like evolutionary psychology (see, e.g., Lickliter & Honeycutt, 2003).

[edit] Notable Developmental Psychobiologists

[edit] References

• Michel, G. F., & Moore, C. L. (1995). Developmental Psychobiology: An Interdisciplinary Science. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.[1]

• Blumberg, M.S. (2002). Body Heat: Temperature and Life On Earth. Harvard University Press.[2]

• Blumberg, M.S. (2005). Basic Instinct: The Genesis of Behavior. Basic Books.[3]

• Gottlieb, G. (1991). Individual Development and Evolution: The Genesis of Novel Behavior. Oxford University Press.[4]

• Lickliter, R., & Honeycutt, H. (2003). Developmental dynamics: Toward a biologically plausible evolutionary psychology. Psychological Bulletin, 129, 819-835.[5]

[edit] External links

• The International Society for Developmental Psychobiology - An annual forum for the presentation and dissemination of new research and findings in developmental psychobiology.
• Developmental Psychobiology