If this sounds a lot like the nature versus nurture controversy, I myself find a resonance. Another spat within the theoretical community has been whether development is continuous or discontinuous. Continuous theories do not break up development into stages. Discontinuous theories emphasize a particular skill or attribute at a particular age. Age-stage theories always emphasize that the stages are qualitatively different from each other and represent a definite break from the previous way of thinking or behaving.
Some theories emphasize the stability of behaviors or abilities across a person's life.
These theories typically stress heredity or early experience. Other theories state that change is possible and likely if new experiences support it. There is a lot of controversy on the stability versus change issue, especially across different domains of development. On the other hand, my interpersonal or social domain has changed a lot since I was in my 20's. I went to LSU and got accustomed to being with people who were either drunk or under the influence of some unknown chemical almost every waking moment.