Final answer:
The statement that capabilities present early in development may develop with no or little experience is false. While newborns have certain inborn reflexes, complex capabilities such as object permanence or theory of mind require interactive development with the environment.
Step-by-step explanation:
The notion that certain capabilities are present early in development and may unfold with minimal or no experience is false. When a child is born, they have the potential for various skills and abilities, but many of these, such as the finer points of the immune system's specific response, cognitive developments like theory-of-mind (TOM), or the virtues one embodies, require postnatal experience and interaction with the environment.
For instance, Piaget's studies demonstrated that very young children do not show object permanence at birth; they develop this understanding as they age. Likewise, children acquire TOM, which helps them understand and predict others' behaviors and emotions, at around 3-5 years of age through social interactions. Similarly, Aristotle described the human potential for senses and virtues, emphasizing that while we are born with the capacity for them, it is through practice and experience that these potencies come to be fully actualized.
Certain reflexes may be present at birth, such as newborn reflexes, which are inborn automatic responses, but these are not to be confused with more complex capabilities that require experiential development. On the contrary, changes in genes that impact embryonic development have been relatively minor, suggesting that genes provide the framework for development, but experience shapes the particulars.