The following sections of this BookRags Literature Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare & Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources.
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The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction: "Social Concerns", "Thematic Overview", "Techniques", "Literary Precedents", "Key Questions", "Related Titles", "Adaptations", "Related Web Sites". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults: "About the Author", "Overview", "Setting", "Literary Qualities", "Social Sensitivity", "Topics for Discussion", "Ideas for Reports and Papers". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
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The belief that learning and behavior are strongly influenced by innate characteristics.
Nativism has its roots in the teachings of the Greek philosopher Plato, who believed that from birth infants have an understanding of such concepts as beauty and truth. Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) believed that human thinking has certain inborn understandings or structures, like cause and effect, that are used to impose order on experience. Since the 1960s, psychologists have demonstrated considerable interest in the inborn emotional characteristics of infants. It is generally agreed by experts that individuals exhibit differences in emotions or motivations that are present in infancy, are biologically based, and may be genetic.
In its pure form, nativism postulates that an individual is predisposed from birth to a certain path in life because of the aptitudes and limitations he or she posseses at birth. The nativists minimize the influence learning can assert over these innate abilities. In philosophy and psychology, empiricism is the theory that represents the opposite point of view to nativism.