When Interviewed, Mr

question 95

Essay

When interviewed, Mr.and Mrs.Williams said that their two children, Jack and Wilbur, were different from the day each child was born.Jack was very affectionate, almost never cried or fussed, and always seemed curious about the faces that appeared above his crib, even those of strangers.Wilbur, on the other hand, was irritable from the outset and often cried for no apparent reason, and usually became upset when strangers' faces came into view.Thus the Williams wondered about their children's early personalities and about children in general.(a) Whose basic theory about children is favoured here, Locke's or Rousseau's? Why? (b) Which child do you think Rousseau would pick as representative of all children? Which child would Hobbes pick? In each case, why? (c) What basic methods might the investigators employ in collecting information on Jack and Wilbur?

---

Definitions:

Within-Family Effects

Variations or differences in behavior, traits, or outcomes observed among members of the same family, often studied to understand environmental and genetic influences.

Adoptive Siblings

Children who are not biologically related but have become siblings through the process of adoption.

Identical Twins

Siblings born from the same fertilized egg, sharing 100% of their genes and often used in genetics research.

Freudian Approach

A psychological theory or technique based on the work of Sigmund Freud, which emphasizes unconscious motivations and conflicts, especially as they manifest in dreams and symbolic actions.