Nature Vs. Nurture In Childhood Research

There have been a many number of theories on development and many of them will influence the way professionals work with children and young people. Psychologists have different views and theories about how children learn, some feel that a child’s ability is innate and others that it depends on the opportunities that are given. This is the ‘nature versus nature’ debate.

For years upon years, people have argued the nature vs. nurture debate. The term “nature vs nurture” has been dated to be used all the way back to the Elizabethan period. To break down exactly what nature vs nurture is, it’s a debate whether prenatal care and home environment determines human behavior, or if that simply relies on a person’s genetics. Personally, I believe both nature and nurture play an important role in a human’s development and behavior. To fully understand my reasoning, I’ll break down exactly what nature and nurture are in this long-standing debate.

The controversy on whether children develop their intellectual attributes based on their genetics or the environment they have been raised in has been a topic of debate over the past years between psychologists. It is known as “Nature versus Nurture” and has lead people to question how a child’s development is influenced. Research has shown that signs of nurture is more evident in the development of a person than nature is. The way we are raised and brought up can greatly be influenced by our environment and surroundings within our childhood and the personality and behaviours we develop.

When examining human development, the universal idea of conflict between nature and nurture often arises. The argument presented by the “Nature vs Nurture” debate is extremely controversial and has been discussed and critiqued for decades. “Nurture” is cited as being a combination of elements from one’s environment and experiences that shapes a person and their life, whereas “Nature” is cited as being a combination of genetic and hereditary aspects that dictates who a person is and will become. The controversy surrounding the argument most directly stems from the differences of views on whether or not nature or nurture affects a person’s life more. Historians, scientists, psychologists, and everyday philosophers have all studied this uncertainty, and many of whom have developed countless theories. Among these is the

One of the main, and most controversial topics discussed in a child’s development is, nature vs. nurture. Nature pertains to genetic influences that a child has inherited from their parents, such as traits, abilities, and capacities. For instance, what color eyes the child may have, how athletic they may be, and even their brain development. Whereas nurture, refers to the environment the child is raised in and how this shapes their behaviors. Such factors can include, the family’s socio-economic status, schooling, parental discipline, as well as whether the child is provided with enough resources. When it comes to nature or nurture having a stronger influence then the other, the answer is both, nature and nurture, influence the outcome of the child. This idea that both nature and nurture, play a part in how the child will develop, is known as the nature-nurture continuum.

Through history, the idea of nature vs. nurture has been a hotly debated issue. Nature, or genetics is often believed to be the most important aspect of a persons’ upbringing, as nature is something intrinsic to any one person. However, many debate that nurture, or the care and encouragement of any human life, trumps nature. The earliest evidence and rebuttals of these theories have been honed and developed over time by specific psychologists and educational theorists – all who hoped to prove their own ideas as fact at one time in history.

For many years, there has been on the ongoing debate that is referred to as nature vs. nurture. It poses a question that many theorists have contested. Do human personalities and behaviors relate to our genetic makeup, or are we directly influenced by the environment and people that we are subjected to? What is more important, genes or environment? While some theorists take either one side over the other, some believe that both nature and nurture play an active role in human development.

From my exposure to this topic, I was able to gain great and valuable knowledge on the nature- nurture controversy. Nature "refers to biological forces that shape development example- heredity information received from parents-

The nature vs. nurture debate is one that has persisted throughout generations of scientists and neuroscientists. Some believe that all aspects of human behavior and human functioning are strictly hereditary, passed down from the parents through genetics. Others believe that the environment has a much greater impact, and can determine one’s personality and intelligence. However, this issue is not as black and white as it might appear. While genetics might have more power than the environment, it is my belief that both are equally important in the shaping of one’s personality and behavior.

This essay will discuss the cognitive and emotional development of children going on further to explore the ongoing debate of nature versus nurture within these. Both can play a vital and important role in influencing a childs development. The term nature refers to an individuals biology, the genetically programmed process of physical maturation (Neaum, 2010). The term nurture refers to all the experiences that each individual child has after they are born that can then influence who they are and what it is that they know (Neaum, 2010).

For centuries child development has been explored into two categories, within a topical debate of whether a child's identity is formed by genetics or influenced by their surrounding environments and experiences. Throughout popular perceptions and scholarly research, evidence provides the interplay between genes and environmental influences (Asbury,2005). Nature and nurture are both vital for a child's development, intertwined they allow the child to possibly reach there full potential. However singularly, nature and nurture influences on there own could quiet possibly hinder a child’d development.

Nature versus nurture has long been debated, especially in psychological research. Are humans’ development preconceived by their genes, or developed during their life cycle from experiences? As time has pasts and many studies have been created, many scientists have put their input on whether nature, or nurture, has a major impact on shaping humans. Two psychologist, Aristotle and Plato, are two individuals who studied and argued this topic heavily. Plato thought that our character, intelligence, and certain ideas are inborn, while Aristotle contended that everything in the mind comes from our senses and the external world. (Myers & Dewall, 8) I strongly believe that while both may play a huge part in shaping us, nature has the most to do with

The debate between nature verse nurture theories focus on whither a person’s development is dependent upon ones genetic blueprint or the

The nature versus nurture debate is one of the oldest issues in psychology. The debate centers on the relative contributions of genetic inheritance and environmental factors to human development.

The essay aims to discuss and debate issues surrounding nature and nurture, with attention on how Erick Erickson (1950) stages of development tend to link with Psychology, Sociology and Biology. Allied with this, it endeavours to enhance on the relationship between psychology and other scientific disciplines (namely biology and sociology). It will also discuss existing theoretical views about nature and nurture in human development, from which conclusion will arise based on the impact on development.