The Debate On Nature And Nurture

Scientists have been debating the nature versus nurture issue for over a hundred years. The British physician

The nature vs nurture issue has been a controversial argument among psychologist for decades. This argument exposes two different views. One of them emphasizes that our personality depends solely on genetics (nature). On the other hand, the second view suggests that humans “develop through experience” (Myers 2013, SG 6) (nurture).

As we have learned in class, the theme of nature versus nurture is a big debate on whether

One of the oldest, most prominent topics of academic debate is the Nature vs. Nurture argument. Nature vs. Nurture is a largely psychological term, in which the Nature aspect places more significance on genetics and personality; our innate predisposition to various circumstances tell us a great deal more about who we are. On the other side, the Nurture aspect places more focus on our environment and stresses the salience of the majority of what we do in our daily lives have been “learned” We see a wide array of examples of this specific argument in literature, popular culture, and even in our everyday lives. While no one can deny that both sides have extremely valid points, it would be very naive to assume that one had more of a dominant factor;

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

In society, not one person is alike. By saying this, many people believe that they strongly take after their parents. Meaning they think Nature is a big part in their life and why they are who they are. The genes in each cell in us humans determine the different traits that we have, more dominantly on the physical connections like eye color, hair color, ear size, height, and other traits. However, it is still not known whether the more abstract attributes like personality, intelligence, sexual orientation, likes and dislikes are gene-coded in our DNA. The nurture theory has experiments showing a child’s behavior with the environment as to adult behavior. In the Nature Vs Nurture debate, everyone has their own thoughts and ideas on each

The nature versus nurture debate is one of the oldest issues in psychology. The debate centers on the relative contributions ofgenetic inheritance and environmental factors to human development. Some philosophers such as Plato and Descartes suggested that certain things are inborn, or that they simply occur naturally regardless of environmental influences. Other well-known thinkers such as John Locke believed in what is known as tabula rasa, which suggests that the mind begins as a blank slate. According to this notion, everything that we are and all of our knowledge is determined by our experience.

One of the oldest and most argued studies in psychology would have to be differentiating between nature, if we were born with specific biological and hardwired characteristics or if we are nurtured into the person we are today, meaning our characteristics are influenced by the things we are taught, things we have learned, and the people present in our lives at any given time. When you are born your mind is like a blank slate but as you grow you develop your own identity. Genes capture the evolutionary responses of past ancestors to the selection on behavior. Environmental diversity gives us the opportunity to adjust to changes during our own lifetime. The nature versus nurture debate relates to many controversies such as intelligence, gender identities, violent behaviors, and sexual orientation. If you believe your personality develops as you grow and gain experience then you take the nurture side in this debate but if you believe you have always had a set personality that has been present since birth then you take the nature side in this debate. Many people believe the two correlate when it comes to the upbringing of a person and in determining individual differences in physical and behavioral traits. Recently both have come to be recognized as playing interacting roles in the development of a

Nature refers to “traits, abilities, and capacities that are inherited from one’s parents”. For instance, having blue or brown eyes, blonde or dark brown hair, and even athletic performance. In human development, nature is actively in control of the growth of an individual from the moment the embryo becomes a fetus continuing until adulthood. During a process known as maturation, genes and tendencies not evident upon birth develop gradually. Among the many physical and behavioral changes during this process, the most apparent are facial hair in boys and breast development in girls. In order for maturation to take place, a sustainable environment, proper nutrition, and supportive care from others is essential. In addition, children’s temperament, which refers to their distinctive ways of reacting to emotional events, novel stimuli, and their own impulses is partially affected by their own genetic makeup. Therefore, whether one is an introvert or an extrovert has some genetic say. On the other hand, mental health conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression have been proven to influence nature. According to statistical records, bipolar disorder is four to six times more likely to develop when there is a family history of the condition. Moreover, alcohol addiction has been shown in studies that it can reoccur in families and that certain genes may have an impact over the way alcohol tastes and the way it affects the

It has been noted that neither nature nor nurture can on their own provide complete explanation. All characteristics are product of nature and nurture.

The term ‘nature versus nurture’ is a widely discussed phenomenon in modern day psychology. It refers to the debate of whether human behavior is attributed more to inherited traits or to environmental influences. When psychologists discuss environment, they can include a physical place, cultural practices, or just the people one surrounds themselves with in social settings. Social psychology discusses how people influence others’ behaviors, actions and beliefs (Lilienfeld, S; Lynn, S; Namy, L; Woolf, N, 2014, pg 496). Our environment, or more specifically the people around us, can influence us to act in atypical ways without our realizing it. Because humans are a social species, we are affected by our society and have a natural tendency to conform to the behaviors of people around us (Lilienfeld et al, 2014, page 503).

I have two sisters, the oldest is called Imelda and the second is called Clara. Growing up with both of them I realized they had completely different personalities. My oldest sister was very caring, responsible, and understanding. While Clara was very independent, sassy, and had the typical fierce Latina attitude. Personally, I preferred Imelda because I view her as my second mother, but I admired the strength in Clara’s beliefs. My dad was “the man” of the house, so he told us to listen to him since my siblings and I lived under his roof. We were okay with it at the time, but little did he know things wouldn't be the same forever.

The first sociological concept prepped for application to the silver screen is the debate of nature versus nurture. The phrase “nature versus nurture” refers to the debate concerning the origin of human behavior and whether it is determined by biology, the nature part of the equation, or upbringing, the nurture part of the equation. Biology, in this case, comes down to a person’s genetic predisposition, with proponents claiming that a person is born with the behaviors they will have for the rest of their lives and nothing will change that. Nature also connects to what fetuses are exposed to in the womb, as Van Goozen et al. 1994 showed that, “...high levels of testosterone contribute to stereotypically masculine traits such as aggressiveness and competitiveness” (Ferris and Stein 2016:97). Upbringing, in this case, relates to the environment someone grew up in and what they were exposed to as they started learning about the world. Evidence has been found to support either side of the debate, but no conclusive answer has been reached yet. For the most part, it is believed that both nature and nurture play a role in how our behaviors and identity develop.

The Meaning of Nature and Nurture in Psychology The nature nurture dichotomy is a theme always present in many areas

Human development has been regarded as one of the most highly controversial topics in the world of psychology. This debate is labeled nature vs. nurture. The controversy centers on the premise that our personality, behavior, intelligence, and feelings are either genetically inherited, or environmentally earned; that we are innate creatures born with our personalities, or that they are learned by experience and time. We are born with our personalities, but our behaviors are learned through experience and shaped thru time.