Nature vs Nurture: Genes vs Environment Essay

Throughout the history of human existence, there have always been many questions that have plagued man for centuries. Some of these questions are “what is the meaning of life” or “which came first, the chicken or the egg.” Within the last 400 years a new question has surfaced and has caused an enormous controversy which takes our minds to much further levels. The controversy is whether inherited genes or the environment influences and affects our personality, intelligence, behavior, development and abilities. This controversy is most often recognized as the “Nature vs. Nurture” conflict. Some people believe that it is strictly genes that affect our ways of live and how we are, while others believe that it is the environment that affects

     Through time, psychologists have argued over whether only our genes control our behaviors in life or if the environment and the people surrounding us have any effect in our lives. This is called nature versus nurture. We do not know what dictates our behavior, or if it is a combination of both. One question is, if genes control our behavior, are we really responsible for our actions? I think that if we can make choices we are responsible for our actions. While or genes influence various aspects of our personalities, there is no denying that our environment has some effects too. Our genes make us, but our experiences and our surroundings shape the way we behave

The classic debated topic of Nature versus Nurture has been and will always be a quarrelsome subject in the scientific world. Meaning, the issue of the level to which environment and heredity sway behavior and development in a person. Nature can be defined as, behaviors due to heredity. This means the behaviors is based on the inherited makeup of an individual and is an influence of the growth and development of that individuals’ all through life. On the other hand nurture is causes of behaviors that are environmental. This Intel’s the influence is from the individual’s parents, siblings, family, friends and all other experiences that individual exposed to during life. However, these concept of ideas supports the inborn genetic framework,

His research also shows that 80 percent of previously shy children was able to conquer their shyness.

1. Which one, genetics (nature) or the environment (nurture), do you think plays a larger role in the development of who you are? Please provide me with what percentage you think each contributes, e.g., 50% genetics/50% environment.

Once a child is born and their development continues, then starts the controversy and wonder as to whether how the child is raised effects their outcome in adult hood, or whether they are just born to be a certain way. Child psychology looks into the many different factors that affect the pregnancy and raising a child. Such as, parenting styles, and how the environment (nurture) and the genetics (nature) play an important role in the child’s development.

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

Nature vs. nurture is a well known argument that is often discussed by many psychologists, philosophers, and even everyday people. It raises the question on whether individual identity is shaped through biological factors, social factors, or if it is affected by both factors. Moreover, this argument delves into the territories of vertical and horizontal identities as well. A vertical identity includes the biological and social factors inherited from parents, while a horizontal identity consists of biological and social forces that are not inherited from the parents and therefore make the individual different. These two forms of identities are primarily constricted within a family point of view. A child exhibits either vertical or horizontal identities based on the identities expressed by his or her parents. These vertical identities that a child exhibits, are supported and nurtured by the parents, while the horizontal identities that the child has are constantly being “corrected” and “fixed”. Society also plays a major role in the nurturing of both vertical and horizontal identities. Based on the environment that the individual will be raised in, an individual’s identity will either flourish and grow, or dwindle and be hidden behind a persona that the individual puts on to please the public. This dance performed between nature and nurture is examined by Karen Ho in her essay “Biographies of Hegemony”, in Susan Faludi’s essay “The Naked Citadel”, and Andrew Solomon’s essay

My shynesss was in and out of school. I was the kid who never raised their hand in class; during confrences my mom was told that I needed to talk more over and over. I was on a soccer team from age 4 through 7th grade, this definitely made me talk, but I did not over come the shyness. In fifth grade, I had to start riding a bus to school. It was all a new experience and multiple times I cried when I got to

The issue of whether or not criminal or aggressive behavior and violence is caused by biological or environmental factors has proven to be one that has caused a dispute for many years now. The biological or genetic factor of violent/criminal or aggressive behavior is certainly a much talked about topic. The idea that certain individuals could be predisposed to violence is something definitely deserving of doing research about. The nature vs. nurture topic has been a continuing debate for many aspects of human behavior, including aggression/violent behavior and criminal behavior. There have been many studies indicating that chemical relationships between hormones and the frontal lobe of the brain may play a key role in determining

When meeting new people, my heart rate increases. I must be deliberate in my speech, or else I will stutter and mumble. I’ll get butterflies, and sometimes even freeze up. This is an example of fearful shyness. Fearful shyness involves being upset about social interactions or fearful when interacting with others (Buss, 1986). This study differentiates the two types of shyness: fearful shyness and self-conscious shyness, and explains where each type of shyness is present in what situations. An example of self-conscious shyness would be anything damaging to the self-esteem, such as going outside naked and being laughed out. Furthermore, this article explains what type of organisms experience each type of shyness; while human infants and other mammals can experience fearful shyness, only older children and adults can experience self-conscious shyness.

The debate over nature versus nurture—whether genes or the environment are more influential—has quieted. The focus has shifted. Scientists acknowledge the important roles of each and understand the real answers lie within the myriad interactions. Current research is sorting through how nutrients and other dietary factors interact with genes to confer health benefits or risks. Answers from genomic research may not become apparent for years to come, but the opportunities and rewards may prove well worth the efforts.

Not much is known about where shyness comes from. It is known though, that shyness occurs when there is fear or discomfort around others. Most research states that shyness comes from a combination of genetics and the environment. Based on twin and adoption studies there seems to be a significant heritable component for shyness (Fordham & Stevenson-Hinde, 1999). Xu, Farver, & Shin (2014) believe that the behavior inhibition system may have an effect on shyness. A physiological sign of shyness is increased cortisol levels (Doey, Coplan, & Kingsbury, 2014). Cortisol levels are associated with stress and people who are shy experience stress in social situations. Eggum-Wilkens, Lemery-Chalfant, Aksan, & Goldsmith, (2015) state that even though shyness

Obesity has become one of the biggest health threats to today’s society. Current research has surrounded the cause of the disease as they try to pinpoint the reason why individuals are gaining weight at an alarming rate. Rather than just nature and nurture, this debate has been long influenced by the culture in which it stands in. The combination of society, reflexes and learned behaviors have all influenced why this health crisis has remained so relevant in culture.

Different personality traits make us who we are today. There are many factors to our personalities and each aspect illustrates a bigger picture of who we are and how we came to be. Openness to experience is a factor of the Five Factor Model (FFM) that describes my personality and is an essential part of who I am in this society. Openness utilizes active imagination, attentiveness to inner feelings, intellectual curiosity, interest in variety, and interest in aesthetics. It is used to display a general appreciation for creative ideas, imaginations, and the arts. Due to a sufficient amount of psychometric research, it is valid to say that openness is viewed as a global personality trait that is comprised of a set of specific habits,