Final answer:
Maturation is defined as the automatic biological development that naturally unfolds over time, fundamental to developmental psychology and present in all human beings. It involves both physiological and cognitive development and is part of the natural growth process from infancy to adulthood.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that best defines maturation is (C) It is an automatic biological development of the body and nervous system that naturally unfolds over time. Maturation refers to the biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior, relatively uninfluenced by experience or other external factors.
This natural progression plays a role in the development of motor skills in infants and children, the physical changes observed during puberty, and the cognitive development throughout one's life.
Developmental psychology is a field that studies how people grow and change from conception to death, and maturation is a foundational concept within this discipline. Maturation is a biological process that every human being experiences.
It is not solely based on social cognitive learning, does not apply solely to physiological or psychological development, occurs in all human beings, and while it has a genetic component, it is not solely associated with genetics.