There’s a widely held myth that highly stimulating early environments are critical for infant intellectual development (see Chapter 10 ) . In reality, most normal environments provide adequate...

There’s a widely held myth that highly stimulating early environments are critical for infant intellectual development (see Chapter 10 ) . In reality, most normal environments provide adequate stimulation for infant development. Although research suggests a negative effect of severely deprived environments on intelligence, adding more stimulation to already healthy environments may not help much. Look for websites marketing “infant stimulation” products. In what way are these sites’ claims consistent—or inconsistent—with scientific evidence?