Nature Vs Nurture Essay

Your physical features can be identified as identical to that of your parents, like your eyes from your father, and the hair color from your mother. However, your personality and talents may have come not from your father or mother. The environment where you grew up may have a lasting effect or influence on that way you talk, behave and respond to the things around you. Where does ones criminal predisposition hale from? Does our behavior stem more from the nature or nurture aspect of our life.

The Nature and Nurture debate, one of the oldest debates in the history of psychology, questions whether or not criminal behaviour is a result of the nature of a person, meaning something that lies in their genes causing a person to act in a certain way, or nurture, the environment, therefore criminal behaviour as a result of a person’s life experiences (Sincero, 2012). This essay shall look in depth and answer to how the four areas of criminal behaviour, which are biological, sociological, psychological and environmental, as part of the nature and nurture debate, can explain criminality and deviance. This will be done by discussing a number of theories and experiments that have come to the surface over time. Researching the nature and nurture debate, it is shown that the debate continues to interest people today, mainly because of what is thought will be the outcome of these findings, which is preventing people turning to criminal behaviour by understanding people’s genetics, how they were born and avoid situations that lie in the environment to stop them interacting with criminal activities.

Additional factors that contribute to trying to explain crime and delinquency are provided by psychological theories that suggest and “try to take account of the group and societal processes that impinge upon the person, but are naturally individualistic, at either the biological, personal or social level” (Gavin 56). However, some actually believe that determining individual traits and trying to link them with

For years, many people have been immersed in the topic of whether criminals are born or bred. In the 1870s, doctor Cesare Lombroso identified criminals based on physical features of the face and body (Murderers Born or Made?). This theory was soon disproved in the 1980s by neuroscientist Adrian Raine to believe that criminal activity is a means of genetics (Murderers Born or Made?). Currently, it is primarily accepted that criminal traits are shaped by genetic influences and environmental factors. Considering the different perspectives of the fields of Anthropology, Psychology, and Sociology, it is evident that criminals are both born and bred.

While watching criminal investigation or murder mystery shows such as 20/20, there is a common scenario where a male or female appeared to have a warming personality and that they were apart of a loving, caring family with the outcome of a great upbringing, but one would wonder, "Why would this person convict such a monstrous crime if they were brought up from a perfect environment? - This wires down to nature vs. nurture. Nature vs. Nurture is one of the greatest debates in psychology to date. When deciding whether or not if biological or environmental factors are the most common denominator for human development and personality, it can be difficult issue to

In this controversial debate nature has to be the first topic we discussed simply because it is what one has been born with. Nature is our heredity, traits that has been passed genetically to us from our parents, and can notcannot be consciously chosen. It is very common for people to say that one gets there looks, attitude, physical talents from their parents or someone with in their past family history. This is someone what true.

There has always been a fascination with trying to determine what causes an individual to become a criminal? Of course a large part of that fascination has to do with the want to reduce crime, and to determine if there is a way to detect and prevent individuals from committing crime. Determining what causes criminality is still not perfectly clear and likewise, there is still debate as to whether crime is caused biologically, environmentally, or socially. Furthermore, the debate is directly correlated to the notion of 'nurture vs nature'. Over time many researchers have presented various theories pertaining to what causes criminal behavior. There are many theories that either support or oppose the concept of crime being biological rather

Born Criminal? A theory that the genetic composition of a human individual increases their likelihood of committing violent crimes. Does the “XYY chromosome theory” exist, a genetic syndrome that causes violent crime? There are many different arguments about what really causes violent crime. Crime is defined as an action or omission that constitutes an offense that may be prosecuted by the state and is punishable by law (Oxford 2017). On one side, people believe that crime originates from an individuals upbringing in society and that environmental factors, such as family, school, church and community, are paramount in the development of behaviour patterns. Others propose that criminal behaviour is more advanced and comprises of an individuals different genetic disorders as genes alter and get passed on to each descendant, showing that some people are predisposed to criminality and that they are of a different species as humans. Are people born into a crime lifestyle or do they really have no choice at all? This research paper will present and argue how crime behaviours can be developed through the different social events occurring in an individual’s life but most criminals are formed by their genetic composition. To begin, Theorist Cesare Lombroso and the born criminal theory will be briefly used with his theory that criminals have certain physiognomic features or abnormalities. This paper will then touch on Franz Joseph Gall in the same field of study as Cesare Lombroso.

As an audience viewing the issue of genetics and environmental influences on criminal behavior it is important for us to view adoption studies since they break the idea of the "Nature and Nurture". The long-running debate of nature versus nurture is a constant and is one of the oldest argued about issues within psychology. To fully understand the beginnings

Psychological theories on deviance are typically based on the concept of the variables and pathology that effect an individual’s personality (Moore, 228). While psychological theories are based on an individual’s inner self and personality, there is no association between personality and deviancy. There is a supposition that deviating individuals have deviating personalities (Henslin, 201). These theories try to find a correlation between environmental and psychological factors. A few major psychological theories include the intelligence theory and Sigmund Freud’s personality theory. The intelligence theory was developed based of the belief of an association between intelligence and deviant behavior. Referencing research by H. H. Goddard it was determined that deviant behavior had a connection with low intelligence (Moore, 230, as cited in Shoemaker, 47). While Goddard established and researched a link between intelligence and behavior, it is difficult to ensure that a correlation actually exists. With an increase in education there is a multitude of factors influencing an individual’s intelligence thus affecting his or her

There are numerous theories which attempt to address and explain why crime exists. However, two specific concepts stand out above the rest: Nature and Nurture. The battle between the two is prominent in deciphering whether it's because of a person's genetic makeup or whether experiences criminals faced in their upbringing are blameworthy. As more information is gained on the subject of genetics and how and if criminal traits can be passed on compared to the environment in which the person is brought up in, the debate on whether it is nature or nurture, that causes one to act unlawfully continues.

One of the oldest arguments in the history of psychology is the debate between nature vs nurture. Nature being our genetics determining our behavior, personality traits, and abilities, while nurture being our environment, upbringing, and life determining our behavior. One of the most prompted debates on the subject is genetic and environmental influences on criminal behavior. Whether its the responsibility of an individual’s genetic makeup makes them a criminal or whether their environment in which they raised develops that outcome. Research has been done on this debate from numerous studies, and the overall conclusion being that both genes and environment play a role in the criminal behavior involving an individual. The reason being, having inherited genes for criminal behavior does not determine the actions of an individual, but if they are subjected to the right environment, then their chances are much greater for engaging in criminal or anti-social behavior.

Nativists, or those who assume our characteristics are solely influenced by nature, assume the characteristics of the human species as a whole to be a product of evolution, and that our differences and uniquenesses are attributed to our own specific genetic code. They believe that our personality traits simply develop later as a result of maturation. Nativists believe that “maturation governs the emergence of attachment in infancy, language acquisition, and even cognitive development as a whole” (McLeod 2007). They believe that we have an internal “biological clock” that controls development any traits not present at birth. They further propose that humans do as their genes dictate, and that behaviours such as political stance and religion are a result of natural selection and evolution. (Essays U.K., November 2013)

Nowadays, an increase number of people are concerned about which factor mainly decides people’s criminal act, due to people still living in the environment of higher crime rates. According to the report of UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime), a global average intentional homicide rate up to 6.2 per 100,000 population in 2012. While some scientists believe that individuals’ criminal behaviour can be cultivated and developed through education and environment, others argue that this negative behaviour patterns are mainly decided by people’s biological inheritance. This essay will consider evidence for both claims and will argue that people’s criminal behaviour is the result of complex interaction between natural and nurtured factors and to some extent, it is largely influenced by postnatal education.

, most experts and theorists have given up all hope in trying to pinpoint one single aspect that causes crime. Many experts believe some people are natural born criminals who are born with criminal mindsets, and this is unchangeable. However, criminals are not a product of heredity. They are a product of their environment and how they react to it. This may seem like a bogus assumption, but is undoubtedly true.