Nature Vs Nurture Essay

To begin this essay, it is essential to define some key terms. The Nature-Nurture debate argues whether our behaviour is as a result of our biology (such as our genes or neurochemistry), or if our behaviour arises from learning from others. For the purpose of this essay, a bully is defined as “a person who uses their strength or power to hurt or frighten people who are weaker” (Oxford Student’s dictionary, 2007). It is essential to investigate why bullying occurs and how to prevent it as bullies as well as their victims are likely to develop mental health problems. Children and adolescents who bully often develop increased levels of negative mental health outcomes in adulthood, as shown in Copeland, Wolk & Angold et al’s (2013) study; 9.4%

How did your temperament flourish? The phrase nature and nurture relates to the relative importance of an individual's innate qualities as compared to an individual's personal experiences in causing individual differences, especially in behavioral traits. This debate is basically deciding if your genetics have more effect on you or society. Hereditary and environmental elements both frame identity. Identical twins are different in many ways. Personality changes over time. Studies have also shown that nurture is more dominant than nature in shaping personality. Nurture is definitely extra dominant in molding your identity.

One of the oldest debates in psychology is nature versus nurture. Nature is the inborn, innate character of an organism. (Spencer A. Rathus pg. 56) Nurture is the sum total of the environmental factors that affect an organism from conception onward. (Spencer A. Rathus pg. 56) Basically nature is what you have from heredity and nurture is you environmental influences.

One of the most enduring debates in the field of psychology is the controversial idea of nature vs. nurture. Throughout the endless history of the debate, no clear conclusion has been met, only hypotheses have been formed. At the center of the debate, human behaviors, ideas, and feelings are being determined, whether they are learned or inherited. Determining physical traits, such as eye color or hair color, are simple because they are hereditary traits. The idea of having a certain personality, intelligence, or ability is under discussion because scientists cannot determine if these traits are learned, or predetermined by genes.

Throughout my nineteen years of living I have gone through many events and have had many influences, both good and bad. Only a few of these events I would consider significant. I believe that both nature and nurture played a role in these significant events. Nurture had the biggest impact in my life and how I am today.

Nature versus Nurture is the issue of the degree to which environment and heredity influence behavior and development. In this issue nature can be defined as, behaviors due to heredity. Which means behaviors are based on the genetic makeup of an individual and is an influence of the individuals' growth and development throughout life. On the other hand nurture are causes of behaviors that are environmental. Which means the influence is from, parents, siblings, family, friends and all other experiences to which the individual is exposed to.

In today's society, one will find that there are many different factors that go into the development of a criminal mind, and it is impossible to single out one particular cause of criminal behavior. Criminal behavior often stems from both biological and environmental factors. In many cases criminals share similar physical traits which the general population do not usually have. For example criminals have smaller brains than properly adjusted individuals. However biological reasons cannot solely be the cause of criminal behavior. Therefore, one must look to other sources as to how a criminal mind is developed. Social and environmental factors also are at fault for developing

1) Use the example of feral children to construct an argument in the nature versus nurture debate.

easily traced as far back as the start of the present century with at least some

In this article “Psychology of Evil” written by M.C Escher, talks about how people who are controlled by a high power have a tendency to commit acts of evil that are rational. The title of the article was called Stanford Prison Experiment. This article tells the audience about how these teenagers and college students volunteered to be in this experiment where they have to split up and a half of the students act as prisoners and the other half acts as the security guards. Many people quit because it was too much for them. The guards took advantage because they felt more powerful when they wore a badge and a spectacular uniform. They were acting upon evil inside them because they thought they had the authority to axt like they did. “The participants adapted to their roles immediately: the guards enforced authoritarian measures and ultimately subjected some of the prisoners to psychological torture; many of the prisoners accepted psychological abuse” (Escher 3). This is explaining how prisoners were being abused and they were perfectly okay with it. The guards (college students) acted upon their evil inside which is proved because they took advantage of the “prisoners”. “The request of the guards, readily harassed other prisoners who attempted to prevent it. Two of the prisoners quit the experiment early and the entire experiment was abruptly stopped after six days” (Escher 3). This shows that the abuse got so horrific that the students could not take it any longer. No matter what is happening, pessimistic or not, people will still commit sins of

Whether people were born with a certain trait or them naturally having the ability to adapt to a certain condition , due to the environment they are living in. In these two articles the authors wrote the article with different points of view , often debating whether someone’s environment has to do with their own success and the way they end up in the future . If they are successful or if they end up in “bad” places due to the choices they make. In the article “The Science of Success” , in paragraph 3 its states “ With a bad environment and poor parenting , orchid children can end up depressed , drug addicted, or in jail - but with the right environment and good parenting they can grow up to be society's most creative, successful, and happy people “.

The issues pitting nature against nurture are exceptionally significant for the gamut of discoveries that attribute an increasing proportion of traits and behaviours to one's genetic makeup. The resulting variety of physical shortcomings and limitations in each person has, for centuries, been countered by endeavours to improve or interfere where necessary, and every individual is consequently the product of a delicate middle path of balance between the two.

From Dr. Money’s perspective, raising Bruce as a girl would allow him to live a “normal” life, if he were to live his life without a penis, he would be seen as an outsider and rejected from society. He also suggested to put Bruce on estrogen, but also surgically give him a cosmetic vagina. Dr. Money explained to Ron and Janet that Bruce/Brenda, would psychologically mature as a woman, and be attracted to men, as well as be able to have sexual intecourse, without a problem. According to Bruce’s parents, there was no reason “that it shouldn’t work” (50). However, they could have thought it out thoroughly, what if Brenda didn’t feel comfortable in her own skin? Would she feel as though something is wrong with her? This is where the topic of

The theory of Nature vs Nurture is the controversial notion that people are born a certain way, as opposed to the concept that people are a result of the environments they have been molded by. I am wholeheartedly a result of the environment I was raised up in, however, I am also proudly a deviation of the ambiance of the Western Bronx. As I step out of my building, the obnoxious slam of Domino pieces hitting tables and Bachata music blasting from cars infiltrates the aura of Marble Hill. This was a typical day in 228th Street’s tightknit community. As a Dominican, we are constantly making the best out of the difficult cards we are dealt. We, Dominicans, come here for a better life, yet our success stops at minimum-wage jobs. You are faced with a dilemma when you come from a place like I do:

Is one’s life set in stone right from birth? Or does an individual gain certain qualities through experiences in life? Nature versus nurture has always been a controversial debate, and there are many different theories and explanations that have been provided around the world, and although many of these statements are true, no one has come to an official conclusion that explains this psychological phenomenon. There have been hundreds of studies conducted in order to explain this topic, and the findings can help develop an understanding that can eventually define the truth. By analyzing certain cognitive traits in individuals it is possible to learn whether these certain traits are predisposed or if the environment one grows up in influence the appearance of the traits.