Final answer:
Gesell's Maturation theory explains intellectual development as a process driven by biological maturation with individual timelines for reaching cognitive milestones.
This approach emphasizes the natural unfolding of intellectual abilities but tends to underestimate environmental influences, which are incorporated in other theories like the Range of Reaction and Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences Theory.
Step-by-step explanation:
Arnold Gesell's Maturation theory posits that developmental changes in a child's behavior are largely driven by biological processes that unfold naturally over time, largely independent of the environment.
Gesell argued that each child has an inherent timeline of development that advances through a series of predictable stages. This concept largely focuses on physical and motor development, although he also acknowledged that cognition is part of the maturation process.
When applying Gesell's theory to intellectual development, it suggests that children will reach cognitive milestones when they are biologically ready, meaning that a diverse range of abilities in areas such as reading, writing, and mathematics naturally reflects the individual maturation rates of children.
However, Gesell's theory has been critiqued for underestimating the role of the environment, which is emphasized in other theories such as the Range of Reaction concept, which recognizes the interplay between genetics and environmental influences on intellectual potential.