Touching Spirit Bear Character Essay Essay Example

Touching Spirit Bear Character Essay Paper Cole is a fifteen-year-old boy who gets into trouble a lot. His father abuses him, which causes a lot of anger. His mother is an alcoholic and did not care about Cole as much as she should. Throughout the novel, Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen, Cole learns more about his conflicts, while healing them at the same time. Cole has many internal conflicts including fear, anger, and loneliness throughout the novel. The first internal conflict is anger. Cole’s father abused him, which created stress and anger inside of him. This anger causes Cole to commit crimes. Cole robbed and trashed a hardware store. Peter, a boy at Cole’s school, found out that Cole did this act of violence. So, Peter told on Cole. Cole found out, in which he got very angry and mad. Instead of confronting Peter, Cole decided to smash Peter’s head against the sidewalk, very hardly. Once Cole was sent to the island of Drake in Alaska, Cole felt depressed and angry at the same time. Cole eventually burnt down his cabin. One last example of anger is dealing with the Spirit Bear. The Spirit Bear was calmly looking at Cole. Cole realized that this bear was not afraid of him. We will write a custom essay sample on Touching Spirit Bear Character Essay specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Touching Spirit Bear Character Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Touching Spirit Bear Character Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer So, Cole let out his anger and tried to kill the bear. Instead of Cole hurting the bear, the bear mauled Cole. Cole was on the ground, almost dying for about three days. Even though Cole seems like a person who is not afraid of anything, there is actually some fear built somewhere in his body. Another internal conflict is fear. Cole was a little frightened by the Spirit Bear. So, he needed control and power and teased the bear. Instead of everything working out his way, the bear attacked Cole, leaving plenty of brutal scars and pain in almost every inch of his body. After the bear mauled Cole, he felt, and looked like he was dying. Cole realized he was afraid to die. So, Cole did everything he could do to stay alive. For instance, he ate grass, killed a mouse for food, and ate almost every moving bug he could see. Lastly, Cole had a dream while he was in the hospital. Cole’s dream was everyone was taking care of him. Including Garvey and Edwin. Suddenly, all of the people helping him turned into monsters and were laughing at him. Cole felt like there was a lack of others caring about him. Not only did Cole have fear and anger, but he also felt lonely. Garvey and Edwin taught Cole how to dance ‘animal dances’. These animal dances are supposed to educate people what animals can teach them. In once case, Cole danced the Whale Dance. After the Whale Dance, Cole learned that whales travel around, but have no home, just like him. During Christmas-time on the island, Cole felt like nobody cared about him. So, he cut down a tree and celebrated Christmas all alone. Cole always needed to have the attention. Since Cole felt lonely and depressed, he committed crimes to have the attention back on him again. These many internal conflicts, including fear, anger, and loneliness, happen throughout most of Cole’s life. Cole may seem like every other juvenile delinquent, but throughout this book, he overcomes these conflicts. Peter actually goes on the island with Cole. After a while, they become friends. The second time Cole goes back on the island, he takes extra precautions and does not burn down the cabin. In fact, Cole had to build a whole new one. Whenever he saw the Spirit Bear, he let go of his anger to the Spirit Bear. His anger, fear, and loneliness are still a problem to Cole, but he is now able to fight his difficulties.

Enviornment and Engineering essays

Enviornment and Engineering essays In Earth in the Balance, Vice President Al Gore said the rescue of the environment the central organizing principle for civilization. In the past 150 years, earths resources have been abused and people do not know how to deal with the effects of not treating the earth right. In Educating for the Environment: Higher Educations Challenge of the Next Century, David W. Orr states that people now being educated must learn how to take care of the planet: keep the population stabilized, deal with the diminishing ozone layer, protect natural forests, and natural resources, etc. They have to do this all at the same time while they decrease social, ethnic and racial conflicts. The young must, understand the differences between what is good for the earth and not. They must make wiser choices then the generations before. Educators should reform the schools to better teach the kids how to deal with the problems with environment. But educators still educate the young, like there is nothing wrong with the planet. People think that technology would help the environmental problems, it may, but the beginning of the problem starts in the mind of the person. It is how the person thinks and feels about the earth. So people must be taught in the mind so they would understand how to take care of the environment. It is ironic that all the colleges and universities know about all these environmental problems, and do anything about it. Why dont people with higher education teach the young as soon as possible? There are three primary reasons: 1) People think that the smallest random fact about something means nothing, but really, it is part of a really big picture. So people must be educated on these small facts about the environment. 2) Professors are scared to speak out these problems. Professors talk amongst themselves about planetary problems and dont tell students about it. ...

Fidel Castro Biographical Profile

Fidel Castro Biographical Profile Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (1926–2016) was a Cuban lawyer, revolutionary, and politician. He was the central figure in the Cuban Revolution (1956-1959), which removed dictator Fulgencio Batista from power and replaced him with a communist regime friendly to the Soviet Union. For decades, he defied the United States, which tried to assassinate or replace him countless times. A controversial figure, many Cubans consider him a monster who destroyed Cuba, while others consider him a visionary who saved their nation from the horrors of capitalism. Early Years Fidel Castro was one of the  several illegitimate children born to middle-class sugar farmer Angel Castro y Argà ­z and his household maid, Lina Ruz Gonzlez. Castro’s father eventually divorced his wife and married Lina, but young Fidel still grew up with the stigma of being illegitimate. He was given his fathers last name at age 17 and had the benefits of being raised in a wealthy household. He was a talented student, educated at Jesuit boarding schools, and decided to pursue a career in law, entering the University of Havana Law School in 1945. While in school, he became increasingly involved in politics, joining the Orthodox Party, which was in favor of drastic government reform to reduce corruption. Personal Life Castro married Mirta  Dà ­az Balart in 1948. She came from a wealthy and politically-connected family. They had one child and divorced in 1955. Later in life, he married Dalia Soto del Valle in 1980 and had five more children. He had several other children outside of his marriages, including Alina Fernndez, who escaped Cuba to Spain using false papers and then lived in Miami where she criticized the Cuban government. Revolution Brewing in Cuba When Batista, who had been president in the early 1940s, abruptly seized power in 1952, Castro became even more politicized. Castro, as a lawyer, tried to mount a legal challenge to Batista’s reign, demonstrating that the Cuban Constitution had been violated by his power grab. When Cuban courts refused to hear the petition, Castro decided that legal assaults on Batista would never work: if he wanted change, he would have to use other means. Attack on the Moncada Barracks The charismatic Castro began drawing converts to his cause, including his brother Raà ºl. Together, they acquired weapons and began organizing an assault on the military barracks at Moncada. They attacked on July 26, 1953, the day after a festival, hoping to catch the soldiers still drunk or hung over. Once the barracks were captured, there would be enough weapons to mount a full-scale insurgency. Unfortunately for Castro, the attack failed: most of the 160 or so rebels were killed, either in the initial assault or in government prisons later. Fidel and his brother Raul were captured. History Will Absolve Me Castro led his own defense, using his public trial as a platform to bring his argument to the people of Cuba. He wrote an impassioned defense for his actions and smuggled it out of prison. While on trial, he uttered his famous slogan: â€Å"History will absolve me.† He was sentenced to death, but when the death penalty was abolished, his sentence was changed to 15 years imprisonment. In 1955, Batista came under increasing political pressure to reform his dictatorship, and he freed a number of political prisoners, including Castro. Mexico The newly-freed Castro went to Mexico, where he made contact with other Cuban exiles eager to overthrow Batista. He founded the 26th of July Movement and began making plans for a return to Cuba. While in Mexico, he met Ernesto â€Å"Chà ©Ã¢â‚¬  Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos, who were destined to play important roles in the Cuban Revolution. The rebels acquired weapons and trained and coordinated their return with fellow insurgents in Cuban cities. On November 25, 1956, 82 members of the movement boarded the yacht Granma and set sail for Cuba, arriving on December 2. Back in Cuba The Granma force was detected and ambushed, and many of the rebels were killed. Castro and the other leaders survived, however, and made it to the mountains in southern Cuba. They remained there for a while, attacking government forces and installations and organizing resistance cells in cities across Cuba. The movement slowly but surely gained in strength, especially as the dictatorship cracked down further on the populace. Castros Revolution Succeeds In May of 1958, Batista launched a massive campaign aimed at ending the rebellion once and for all. It backfired, however, as Castro and his forces scored a number of unlikely victories over Batista’s forces, which led to mass desertions in the army. By the end of 1958, the rebels were able to go on the offensive, and columns led by Castro, Cienfuegos and Guevara captured major towns. On January 1, 1959, Batista spooked and fled the country. On January 8, 1959, Castro and his men marched into Havana in triumph. Cubas Communist Regime Castro soon implemented a Soviet-style communist regime in Cuba, much to the dismay of the United States. This led to decades of conflict between Cuba and the USA, including such incidents as the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Bay of Pigs invasion and the Mariel boatlift. Castro survived countless assassination attempts, some of them crude, some quite clever. Cuba was placed under an economic embargo, which had serious effects on the Cuban economy. In February of 2008 Castro resigned from duties as President, although he remained active in the communist party. He died on November 25, 2016, at the age of 90. Legacy Fidel Castro and the Cuban Revolution have had a profound effect on worldwide politics since 1959. His revolution inspired many attempts at imitation and revolutions broke out in nations such as Nicaragua, El Salvador, Bolivia and more. In southern South America, a whole crop of insurgencies sprang up in the 1960s and 1970s, including the Tupamaros in Uruguay, the MIR in Chile and the Montoneros in Argentina, just to name a few. Operation Condor, a collaboration of military governments in South America, was organized to destroy these groups, all of which hoped to incite the next Cuban-style Revolution in their home nations. Cuba aided many of these insurgent groups with weapons and training. While some were inspired by Castro and his revolution, others were aghast. Many politicians in the United States saw the Cuban Revolution as a dangerous â€Å"toehold† for communism in the Americas, and billions of dollars were spent propping up right-wing governments in places like Chile and Guatemala. Dictators such as Chile’s Augusto Pinochet were gross violators of human rights in their countries, but they were effective in keeping Cuban-style revolutions from taking over. Many Cubans, particularly those in the middle and upper classes, fled Cuba shortly after the revolution. These Cuban emigrants generally despise Castro and his revolution. Many fled because they feared the crackdown that followed Castro’s conversion of the Cuban state and economy to communism. As part of the transition to communism, many private companies and lands were confiscated by the government. Over the years, Castro maintained his grip on Cuban politics. He never gave up on communism even after the fall of the Soviet Union, which supported Cuba with money and food for decades. Cuba is a genuine communist state where the people share labor and rewards, but it has come at the cost of privation, corruption, and repression. Many Cubans fled the nation, many taking to the sea in leaky rafts hoping to make it to Florida. Castro once uttered the famous phrase: â€Å"History will absolve me.† The jury is still out on Fidel Castro, and history may absolve him and may curse him. Either way, what is certain is that history will not forget him anytime soon. Sources: Castaà ±eda, Jorge C. Compaà ±ero: the Life and Death of Che Guevara.  New York: Vintage Books, 1997. Coltman, Leycester. The Real Fidel Castro. New Haven and London: the Yale University Press, 2003.

Precis & Commentary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Precis & Commentary - Essay Example Then he explains by saying that having less secrecy will make it harder for criminals to plot harmful deeds. Later on, he gives examples of groups of people who have been better off once theyve revealed their secrets to society- naming homosexuals and HIV-AIDS sufferers. His view is contrasted to another which claims that "more information, rather than less, is our best protection against misjudgment" (Rosen, 2000, as cited in Austin, 2006). To conclude his article, the author compares the right for secrecy with Santa Claus and unicorns, claiming that it is unreal. He admits, however, that everyone needs their solitude and space, but claims that ignoring both the benefits of not having secrecy as well as the potential risks involved would be the wrong thing to do; that accepting our being flawed and being united by our common information will save us. He says that the term "privacy" has many different interpretations to other people and groups of people, as the media has a very different notion of it than the common citizen. He quotes people who have said that some masquerade as reformers, while actually taking care of their own interests and that patriotism is used by scoundrels to further their own agendas (2008, p.13). Regardless of his opinion, even presidents have been known to be against secrecy, claiming that "the very word secrecy in a free and open society is repugnant" (Kennedy, as cited in Blumner, 2005). In spite of this, Ackland may have a point. It is well known that the federal government of the United States "has a massive amount of secrets", which is estimated in the millions each year ("Government Secrecy", 2005). And there is no shortage of opponents of this secrecy: "we live in an open society where secrecy should be banished from the workings of the government" (Hamilton, 2006). The reason for that is that "we enjoy a free and open

CAPM ana Capital Budgeting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

CAPM ana Capital Budgeting - Essay Example The estimation of the cost of capital in turn is based upon the CAPM. However, not only does recent discourses in academic literature challenge the validity of the CAPM model, there is lack of consensus regarding the adequate measure of the market risk premium, a central input required for computing the cost of capital using the CAPM. However, in spite of these short comings, the CAPM has survived as the predominant quantitative model in its class for over 40 years since its inception. It is precisely this paradox the paper in concern addresses. In particular, Jagannathan and Meler (2002) offer an explanation to the following question: in spite of the various short comings of the CAPM model in computing the cost of capital, why do majority of managers report using the model to make critical decisions? The answer they offer is that in the real world, computing the exact cost of capital may not be crucial for optimal decisions. Hence, although the CAPM may not provide the exact value o f cost of capital, but it still remains useful for managers. Assuming rationed organizational and managerial capital which implies that not all projects with positive NPVs can be invested in, the paper shows that utilizing a hurdle rate greater than the cost of capital and the typical NPV computations, the value of waiting for an option can be accounted for. Therefore, the exact value of cost of capital no longer remains an imperative for optimal decisions. The idea that discounting values are set much higher than the cost of capital has significant support in financial literature. Stein (2001) for instance shows that aspects like agency costs arising out of asymmetric informational situations among share owners and managers leads to setting of discount rates that are much higher than the actual cost of capital. Empirical literature also lends further support to the claim by establishing the existence of a large number of hurdle rates that are set higher than the cost of capital (Po terba and Summers, 1995). Truong, Partington and Peat (2008) have also established that there are a number of hurdle rates used in the capital budgeting procedure in Australia. The critiques of using CAPM in capital budgeting fundamentally stem from two particular difficulties. First, the time horizon of the basic model is limited to a single period. But in reality, investment appraisals of firms typically involve decision making over multiple periods. Thus, this raises the question of applicability of the CAPM in investment appraisal in the real world. Secondly, computing discount rates specific to particular projects can prove difficult owing to for instance, difficulties arising in identification of appropriate proxy betas as proxy companies usually undertake multiple activities simultaneously. Disentangling the beta specific to a project may prove near impossible because these require certain information that may be extremely difficult to obtain. (Head, 2008) Additionally, it ha s been shown that although the NPV criterion can be utilized to make accept/reject decisions, these are valid and optimal only if the discount rate is not computed using the CAPM (Magni, 2009). In light of the discussion above what emerges essentially is that the CAPM generates estimates of cost of capital

Comparing the Restricted and Non-restricted Carbohydrate Diet Essay

Comparing the Restricted and Non-restricted Carbohydrate Diet I compared the physiological, psychological, and physical responses in restricted-carbohydrate diets and non-restricted carbohydrate diets. These comparisons are found in various studies summarized into a comparison article written by Brian D. Butki, Jeffrey Baumstark, and Simon Driver called Effects of a Carbohydrate-Restricted Diet on Affective Responses to Acute Exercise Among Physically Active Participants. Throughout the studies compared in the article, subjects who participated as a restricted or low-carbohydrate dieter consumed meals with 20 grams of carbohydrates per day whereas subjects who participated as a non-restricted carbohydrate dieter were allowed to consume 250 grams per day (the recommended amount suggested by the Food and Drug Administration). Both types of participants were evaluated for their physiological responses (such as the amount of energy the body is able to produce from their diet), their psychological responses (such as assessment of their mood), and t heir physical response (such as their ability to do physical activity). The results collected from various studies in this article suggest that the diet directly influences the way the body responds physiologically, psychologically, and physically especially when one is exercising to lose weight. The amount of energy the body produces depends on the amount of energy-producing foods consumed; these are carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. However these types of energy-providing foods also contain the most calories which can turn into stored fat when not all of it is burned off as energy. Therefore the way that the body uses the carbohydrates, proteins, and fats is what scientists try... ...y affect the psychological response. The significant reports of negative emotions caused by the imbalance between carbohydrates and fats seems to affect the area of the brain where the hypothalamus is located also seems to be associated with the fatigue and nausea—symptoms of hypoglycemia. The result of the comparison between a restricted-carbohydrate diet and a non-restricted carbohydrate diet shows how manipulations of the diet can affect a number of the important anatomical systems. Works Cited Butki, Brain D., Jeffrey Baumstark, and Simon Driver (2003). Effects of a carbohydrate- Restricted Diet on Affective Responses to Acute Exercise among Physically Active Participants’. Journal of Perceptual Motor Skills, 96 (2), 607-615. Grosvenor, Mary B. and Lori A. Smolin. Nutrition: From Science to Life. Orlando, FL: Harcourt College Publishers, 2002.

Heredity, the Environment and Development Essay

The study of genetics has grown out of a desire to understand how exactly the individual comes to be just that, an individual different from its peers. In order to comprehend the scope of possible outcomes and how they came to be behavioral genetics looks at a number of variables; these include the impact of our genes (nature), and our environment (nurture). A countless number of hypotheses were put to the test through research to analyze the degree of influence of each. In this paper, team A will discuss the methods of behavioral genetics, the various research techniques used, their testing populations and why used, along with proposed answers and explanations. Behavioral GeneticsBehavioral geneticists uses family, twin and adoption studies as a basis for their argument of individual differences (Lerner, Bearer, Garcia, & Coll, 2004). A significant contributor to studies in behavioral genetics, provides this definition: â€Å"Behavioral genetics is the genetic study of behavior, which includes quantitative genetics (twin and adoption studies) as well as molecular genetics (DNA studies) of human and animal behavior broadly defined to include responses of the organism from responses measured in the brain such as functional neuro-imaging to self-report questionnaires† (Plomin,2004). Read more:  Influences that affect children’s development essay One of the first twin studies was conducted by Bouchard in 1979 when he found a set of monozygotic twins, babies from a fertilized egg that splits into two. The babies were separated at a few weeks old. The babies had many physiological and psychological similarities. Since Bouchard’s initial study it has been proven that, while monozygotic twins raised together have many similarities, those separated at an early age have an even greater likeness. Since twins being raised together are more likely to highlight their differences in order to maintain some element of independence, behavioral geneticists argue that this indicates a strong genetic underpinning in human development (Plomin, 2004). Research conducted by Grilo and Pogue-Geile (1991) correlated the familial relationships with extroversion. The study included monozygotic twins reared together and apart, dizygote twins reared together and apart, biological parents and children, biological siblings, adoptive parents and children and  unrelated siblings reared together. The results reflected that the highest correlation was between monozygotic twins raised together and apart. The lowest correlation was between unrelated siblings raised together. For behavioral geneticists, these results conclude that genetics are at work in determining the extroversion of a person. Behavioral geneticists suggest reasonable doubt in assuming connections between psychological environments and developmental results may be genetically arbitrated and that the environment a person is in responds to the genetically influenced characteristics (Plomin, 2004). The genetic association between parent and child is useful to examine. For example, â€Å"†¦differences in parenting can be the genetic effect rather than the environmental cause of children’s psychopathology† (Plomin, 2004, p. 345). The results of the twin, adoption and family studies support these assumptions. The Correlation of Heredity and EnvironmentThe nature versus nurture controversy exists because some people believe that a person’s genetics has the greatest impact on their personality, intelligence and behavior. On the flipside, some people believe that the environment has more of an impact. Behavior geneticists assume that behavior is influenced by the relations of heredity and environment. With the help of twin studies, and adoption studies researchers are working on understanding what molds a person into the individual he or she is today. Twin studies, using identical twins, are conducted to understand how biology influences traits and psychopathology in humans whose genotypes are the same (Haimowitz, n.d.).Twin studies also use fraternal twins who share half of the genes they acquire at conception which helps to compare the degrees of genetic influence such as intelligence and personality. Adoption studies take a look to see if adoptive children exhibit the behavioral and psychological traits of their adoptive parents, or those of their biological parents (Haimowitz). Any links to biological parents can be attributed to genetics, and any connection to adoptive parents can be  attributed to environment. Heredity-Environment correlations can be shown in three ways. One is the passive genotype-environment correlations. Passive genotype-environment correlation exists when a child’s biological parents are raising him or her (MacDonald, n.d.). An example of this situation could be Ana’s parents having the genetic predisposition to be intelligent and read skillfully leading one to believe that Ana will more than likely share these skills. Evocative Genotype-Environment Correlation occurs when a child’s genotype provokes a specific type of physical or social environment (MacDonald, n.d.). An example of this type of correlation: Andrew is artistic, and outgoing, he will elicit encouragement to try out for plays. Sheena is very athletic and competitive; she will be encouraged to go out for sports. Active genotype-Environment Correlations emerge when a child seeks out environments he or she will find compatible and stimulating (MacDonald, n.d.). An example could be that a child like Matilda, who has a gift of music, will seek a musical environment where she can expand on her talent. Scientist researching how genetics influences academic achievements show three ways heredity and environment could possibly be correlated. The three ways in which Meredith Phillips and a team of colleagues found genetics and environment to be correlated are passive correlation, active correlation, and reactive correlation. â€Å"Passive correlation: genes influence both a child’s environment and heredity (Phillips, Brooks-Gunn, Crane, Duncan, & Klebanov, n.d.,  ¶ 3).† â€Å"Active correlation: genes influence the environments that a child seeks out (Phillips et al.,  ¶ 3).† â€Å"Reactive correlation: environments react differently to people with different genetic profiles (Phillips et al.,  ¶ 3).† In passive correlation if a parent is the type of person whom enjoys reading, the love for reading could be transferred to the child from the parent reading to the child frequently. The child will already have the genetics from the parents. My son enjoys music I would like to think he received that from me because of my interest in music. He hears a great deal of music when at home therefore, the music rich environment my son is placed in has an influence on his musical achievements. Combined with the genetic aspect of my love for music and his father’s love for music the affect of his music rich environment causes a stronger influential desire to be involved in music. In active correlation, the child has genetic influences from the parent reading to him or her. When the child voices the desires for the parent to read to him or her, the parent enjoying the reading ultimately influences the child by reading to the child. The child requesting stories to be read is the incentive the parent has to continue the process along with the parent’s love for reading. Reactive correlation was described as genetics affecting the child’s physical features with the child’s features being judged by peers. The views of the child’s peers are voiced and in the process the child’s academic achievements are effected. The child’s environment can put him or her under a certain labels. In this situation genetics affects the views of the child’s peers and the environment combined with genetics can have a negative affect on the child’s academics. Definition of Shared and Non-shared Environmental ExperiencesBeyond genetics, each individual has a unique personality that is based on a blending of their shared and non-shared experiences in life. Shared environmental experiences are those which the majority of the world encounters. Shared experiences can occur differently by culture, but generally adhere to a specific â€Å"social clock or a set of age norms that defines a sequence of normal life experiences (Boyd & Bee, p. 10).† For American culture think of the traditions of school, watching a baseball game, having a BBQ, getting married, having children, working and retiring as relative shared norms that all, or most of us, encounter. Of course, non-shared experiences are different for each of us; these are categorized as individual experiences. Individual or non-shared experiences  can be influenced by â€Å"race, socioeconomic status, and other social factors (Boyd & Bee, 2006, p. 36).† These individual differences can also be related to school, relationships, marriage and childbirth and the unique perspective that each person has. Each individual thinks much differently and so the way that they perceive and interact in the world will make their experiences, shared and non-shared, unique to them. Role Played by Shared and Non-shared Environmental Experiences DevelopmentThe importance that shared and non-shared experiences have in development is that they help shape our personal development as well as our social development. If in fact, each person encounters shared experiences in accordance with the norm expected, they are more likely to fit in culturally and have a higher understanding of appropriate and healthy relationships. Likewise, with non-shared experiences if interactions each person has with their parents and peers, and in his or her independent life, is healthy they will know themselves internally and process environmental factors that occur around them in a healthy manner. If the shared and non shared experiences of an individual do not go according to the norms of society it will be more difficult for them to develop into healthy adults who function both independently and interdependently at appropriate levels. (Boyd & Bee, 2006, p. 36) In conclusion, behavioral geneticists have used a wide array of approaches to their research in developmental theories. Through the use of identical twins a great deal of information has been acquired on the basis of both genetics and environment. The strongest proponent of this argument was shown to be the case of identical twins separated at birth exhibiting very similar characteristics even though they had not been raised in the same environment. Corresponding research which also strengthens this argument shows that adoptive children exhibit very few of the characteristics of their adoptive parents. It seems safe to say that genetics lay the foundation of behavior with environment and individual experience capable of exhibiting some influence beyond that. References Boyd, D., & Bee, H. (2006). Lifespan Development. Retrieved from http://ecampus.phoenix.eduGrilo, C. M., & Pogrue-Geile, M. F. (1991). The Nature of Environmental Influences on Weight and Obesity: A Behavior Genetic  Analysis [White paper]. Retrieved from National Institute of Health: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.govHaimowitz, A. G. (n.d.). Heredity versus Environment: Twin, Adoption, and Family. Retrieved April 21, 2009, from http://www.personalityresearch.org/papers/haimowitz.htmlLerner, R. M., Bearer, E. L., Garcia, , & Coll, C. G. (2004). Nature and Nurture: the Complex Intereplay if Genetic and Environmental Influences on Human Behavior and Development. . Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=iFriCJCTsx4C&printsec=frontcoverMacDonald, K. (n.d.). PSYCHOLOGY 361: BEHAVIOR GENETICS. Retrieved April 21, 2009 , from http://www.csulb.edu/~kmacd/361Notes2.htmlPhillips, M., Brooks-Gunn, J., Crane, J., Duncan, G. J., & Klebanov, P. (n.d.). How Might Genetic Influences on Acad emic Achievement Masquerade as Environmental Influences?. Retrieved April 22, 2009, from http://www.children.smartlibrary.org/NewInterface/segment.cfm?segment=2606Plomin, R. (2004). Genetic and Developmental Psychology. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 50(3), 341-352. Retrieved from http://muse.jhu.edu/login?uri=/journals/merrill-palmer_quarterly/v050/50.3polmin.html