Designed primarily for use in child psychology or child development courses in two- or four-year colleges, this text emphasizes the relationships between biological, emotional, cognitive, and social growth. Underlying themes explored include biological versus environmental influences, continuity versus discontinuity of development, and individual characteristics versus contextual and cultural influences. Rather than focusing on a few grand theories that attempt to account for many aspects of development, the text explores newer approaches, such as dynamic systems theory and evolutionary theory, and recognizes the value of more specific theories that guide research in particular topic areas, such as language acquisition and motor development. The art program features color photos, illustrations, and cartoons in a color layout. For this seventh edition, content on diversity has been incorporated into the main body of the text rather than confined to boxes. This edition also offers streamlined content, without sacrificing the chapter on child psychopathology. Parke and Gauvain are affiliated with the University of California-Riverside. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)