Judith Rich Harris and child development: 25 years after The Nurture Assumption

Abstract

This special issue of Developmental Review is in honor of Judith Rich Harris and the important contributions she made to the study of child development. Though she lacked traditional credentials and a university position, her work forced professional scholars to reconsider a foundational tenet in psychology. Contrary to both evidence and intuition, Harris argued that parents had no lasting influence on the personalities, preferences, and temperaments of their children. Her ideas were met with incredulity, and it would take time before reflexive doubt gave way to more careful consideration. In the decades following the publication of her most well-known book, The Nurture Assumption, her influence has spread well beyond the boundaries of her own field, developmental psychology. Contributors to this volume include criminologists, social psychologists, and behavior geneticists alike. The special issue represents an exciting opportunity to reflect on a remarkable psychologist and the legacy that endures from her unlikely scholarly career.