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Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences pp 1–3Cite as

Developmental Plasticity

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Synonyms

Brain plasticity; Epigenetics; Epigenomics; Gene-environment interaction; Neuroplasticity phenotypic plasticity

Definition

Developmental plasticity is the process by which later life traits are shaped by the early life environment. Specifically, it refers to the process according to which a single genotype (i.e., genetic makeup of an organism) leads to distinct and lasting phenotypes (i.e., outward biological and psychological manifestations) under alterations of environmental interactions.

Introduction

Developmental plasticity is a concept grounded in the broad field of biology. Its roots trace to the classic “nature versus nurture” debate introduced in the nineteenth century in scientific discourse, that is, the question of the origins of individual differences as a result of environmental versus genetic influences. Developmental plasticity emphasizes the individual’s adaptation to external changes as a result of the combined effect of both genetic and environmental...

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy

    Emanuela S. Gritti

  2. Department of Psychology, Pace University, New York, NY, USA

    Baptiste Barbot

  3. Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA

    Baptiste Barbot

Authors
  1. Emanuela S. Gritti
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  2. Baptiste Barbot
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Baptiste Barbot .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Oakland University, Rochester, USA

    Virgil Zeigler-Hill

  2. Oakland University, Rochester, USA

    Todd K. Shackelford

Section Editor information

  1. Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA

    Glenn Scheyd

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Gritti, E.S., Barbot, B. (2019). Developmental Plasticity. In: Zeigler-Hill, V., Shackelford, T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_1622-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_1622-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-28099-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-28099-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Behavioral Science and PsychologyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

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