Child development is typically viewed through an organizational, biological lens. As
such, development is seen as going thorough specific stages, with transitions to new stages being
influenced by, or contingent upon accomplishments attained in earlier stages. Just as children’s
language or mental capabilities develop as a result of maturation and experience, so too does
children’s affective development. Affective development is often seen as progressing in the same
manner, and as being impacted by both internal (biological predispositions, within-child
abilities) and external (physical and social environment) influences. Additionally, there are stable
differences among children that impact development in the affective domain. For example, a
small percentage of children are highly active while another small percentage is slow to warm up
(Kagan, 1994). Additionally, Plomin (1990) presents research suggesting a genetic basis for
empathy by showing that identical twins are more alike in their empathetic responses than
fraternal twins.