maturationistn.adj.
/ˌmatʃᵿˈreɪʃn̩ɪst/, /ˌmatʃᵿˈreɪʃənɪst/, /ˌmatjᵿˈreɪʃn̩ɪst/, /ˌmatjᵿˈreɪʃənɪst/, U.S. /ˌmætʃəˈreɪʃənəst/ Psychology and Linguistics (chiefly North American).
A. n.
A person who believes that genetic factors are more important than environmental ones in determining a child's development, esp. with regard to the acquisition of language.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > language > [noun] > language acquisition > theories of > adherent of theory of
maturationist1967
the world > life > biology > theories > person holding theory > [noun] > other theories
signaturist1646
vacuist1660
sexualist1790
maturationist1967
1967 Canad. Med. Assoc. Jrnl. 97 325/1 The ‘maturationists’..consider the intrinsic biological mechanisms of the child of such importance [as a factor in enuresis] as to render environmental factors relatively inconsequential.
1985 Jrnl. Humanistic Educ. & Devel. 24 10 The maturationist believes knowledge is the consequence of innate patterning.
1993 Internat. Jrnl. Psychol. Relig. 3 173 Hard and soft categories are seen to be obsolete in light of their dated use in debates with behaviorists and maturationists.
B. adj.
Of, relating to, or characteristic of maturationists or their beliefs.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > language > [adjective] > terms relating to language acquisition > of advocate of theories of
maturationist1968
the world > life > biology > theories > [adjective] > other theories
animalcular1753
zoocentric1882
organismic1886
pre-bacteriological1892
pre-bacteriologic1902
age and area1915
neurogenic1915
maturationist1968
1968 Child Devel. 39 1013 The connection of a stage conception to an interactional (as opposed to a maturationist or environmentalist-training) view of the origins of mental structure is analyzed.
1991 Canad. Jrnl. Linguistics 36 431 The developmental problem is particularly relevant to the issues addressed by Matthews and Demopoulos, since..maturationist solutions depend on an even stronger hypothesis of innateness.
1998 Developmental Rev. 18 472 McGraw conducted a more complex analysis of neurobehavior than is generally acknowledged by those who characterize her position as maturationist.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2001; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.adj.1967