Necessary But Not Sufficent: The Respective Roles of Single and Multiple Influences on Individual Development

The "nature versus nurture" controversy rests on the premise that individual variability can be explained by a single class of influences. In this provocative book, developmental psychologist Theodore Wachs challenges scholars to reconsider such simple premises, arguing that they are poor predictors of outcome. Mustering an impressive array of evidence from a variety of disciplines, Wachs demonstrates that, although influences from a particular domain may be necessary to cause a particular outcome, they are rarely sufficient. Wachs proposes a view of development in which variability is thought of as the action of linked influences over time, from domains as diverse as evolution, genetics, neurology, nutrition, and the child's immediate and wider environment. Countering the arguments of those who protest that it is neither realistic nor cost-effective to design research based on multiple influences. Wachs argues that this can and must be done and suggests ways of doing so. A persuasive, original, and richly documented book, Necessary But Not Sufficient is a landmark contribution to the field of developmental science.Theodore D. Wachs is the author of 'Necessary But Not Sufficent: The Respective Roles of Single and Multiple Influences on Individual Development' with ISBN 9781557986115 and ISBN 1557986118.