The Nurture Versus Nature Debate

Nature or Nurture. Nature may be all of the genes and hereditary factors with which influence them to become who they are such as physical appearances and personality characteristics. Nurturing impacts people’s lives as well as how they are raised and all the environmental factors. In combination, these qualities can be the true identity of oneself. Many people may argue that nurture appears to a play huge factor in the two, but others may think otherwise. Not having both as a characteristic can have a negative effect on a person physically and mentally. The debate of nature versus nurture appears to be the oldest argument known to man, and it still remains to be unanswered. In the old-age argument nature versus nurture, nature may play a huge role in determining a person’s true identity.

Nature and nurture are usually seen as very different things, but they are actually somewhat similar and even integrated. There is a huge debate over which holds more influence over how people develop and whether they behave based on genes or their environment. In Sincero’s article Nature and Nurture Debate she discusses arguments for both sides, saying behavior may be completely in a person’s genes, or it could come from experience and influence. Many people believe “that the criminal acts, tendency to divorce and aggressive behavior causing abuse can be justified by the ‘behavioral genes’” (Sincero). These genes are said to be the reason that people behave as they do and one cannot help their own actions. Other arguments suggest “that genetic influence over abstract traits may exist; however, the environmental factors are the real origins of our behavior. This includes the use of conditioning in order to induce a new behavior to a child, or alter an unlikely behavior being shown by the child” (Sincero). Environment is a key role in determining how a person is developed, even if genes lay the foundation for personality. However, not only are both very important in influencing behavior, but they also incorporate each other, as part of natural instinct is to prosper and grow, which includes nurturing and protecting others. The importance of nature and nurture in the development of a person as well as their importance within each other contribute to many different situations

Sexual orientation refers to the emotional, sexual, and romantic attraction to men, women, or both genders. It also refers to a person’s sense of identity based on those attractions. In the early years, to be labeled as a gay, lesbian, or bisexual was known to be a mental illness. In recent years, it has been determined that it is a normal aspect of sexuality. Determining how one has this specific trait is up in the air. With homosexuality growing, sexual orientation has been a major discussion in the world throughout the last decade. Some have argued that it has to do with genetics, and some say that it has to do with the environment. This is known as the long-term controversy of nature versus nurture. The controversy discusses which side of the argument affects our behavior, intelligence, development, and personality. Scientists have been investigating and experimenting to find the answer to this debate. There has not been evidence that says one side is 100% the answer.

Nature vs. nurture is a debate that stretches through all periods of time. Since the biblical era to now the issue is still widely debated and even more so relevant right now than it ever has been. It’s beginnings stem from the first great minds who wondered whether one’s genetics decided their psychology, or rather their environment. Essentially that is all nature vs. nurture is; whether a person’s thought process, actions, and behavior are determined by nature or nurture.

There 's a debate within psychology about whether certain aspects of behavior are genetic or learned characteristics. Certain physical characteristics are genetic, like color of eyes, hair type, and skin color. Other things like driving, talking, or tying your shoes are learned. People wonder if personality and mental abilities are genetic or learned. There are good arguments for both the nurture, and nature side of these three issues: intelligence, personality, and homosexuality.

The nature versus nurture debate has been a widely argued philosophical topic for numerous decades in which people hold strongly contrasting opinions. Many believe that a person’s development is solely down to their inherited (genetics) characteristics and tendencies, however, the opposing side consider the environment where you grew up to have a long-lasting effect or influence.

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

Throughout history, philosophers, scientist and psychologists have always possessed different opinions on what gives humans distinct characteristics. “Nature”, includes heredity which is a biological component that is believed to affect IQ while “Nurture” is when one’s environment which shapes us through various experiences. Those who are inquisitive about life commonly reflect on their lives, wondering whether they would be different if their experiences in childhood were altered; childhood experiences or our social environment ever so greatly affects our personalities. Withstanding that, nurture has the ability to change an individual's characteristics based on social environment. However, the severity of these changes is different for each

People all have different views of child development so eventually there would  be debate of whether it is more affected by the biology or the environment as we say the Nature-nurture debate. Biology is the things that were given from birth such as musical talent or special abilities which can not be affected but to support and encourage. The Nurture part is more complicated as it is more of the child’s surroundings that affect the child’s interest and development - their society and their culture. As they grow, they are influenced by parents, teachers, peers, the community and the society. They started to build up their own values, beliefs and cultures. So this essay will mainly focus on the nurture part and two contemporary perspectives will

“Parents who discipline their child by discussing the consequences of their actions produce children who have better moral development, compared to children whose parents use authoritarian methods and punishment.” The nature Vs nurture debate has been around since 1690 created by the philosopher John Locke who believed we as humans do not have natural, inborn ideas; that our minds are a blank page, upon which experience shall write. Nurture is everything and nature is simply nothing. “Nature is what we think of as pre-wiring and is influenced by genetic inheritance and other biological factors. Nurture is generally taken as the influence of external factors after conception e.g. the product of exposure, experience and learning on an individual. The nature-nurture debate is concerned with the relative contribution that both influences make to human behaviour” ( http://www.simplypsychology.org/naturevsnurture.html).

Do you ever wonder why you act? The nature vs nurture debate has been going for a long time and many people research about it. Nature needs to be noticed because it is important. Identical twins are different in many different ways. My personality has changed a lot over time. Studies show that nurture has more effect on your personality than nature. Nurture has more of an influence than nature.

Intelligence has been a cause of debate between psychological researchers for many years. This question of nature vs nurture can be examined in many ways. Although many psychologists argue for and against the nature nurture debate and agree that the many characteristics and personality traits are caused by nature and nurture both working together. Through the many developmental studies of famous researchers, it helps us assume that the influence of nurture outweighs that of nature. Plato and Aristotle, for instance, were both philosophers with different views on the issue. Plato believed that knowledge and behaviour were due to innate factors, meaning heredity, whilst Aristotle, also written by philosopher John Locke backed up the idea of tabula

A problem with the debate about nurture vs. nature is that the debate is trying to explain a complex problem with a very open solution. There is no depth in believing that a person’s whole existence and cooperation in this world is based on nature and nurture. I believe that we are all shaped by both nurture and nature components at some points of our lives.

Uncontrollable Future When a mother looks into her newborn child’s eyes, she wonders what type of person they will grown up to be. Will they become a caring veterinarian? An ambitious artist? Maybe, a Lawyer?This question brings about the The nature and nurture debate has been a continuous argument about weather nature controls human development and behavior or if nurture does. Nature is the innate biological aspects that affects a child growing up and nurture are the environment and experiences that mold the child into who they will become.

For more than a century, researchers and psychologists, such as Sir Francis Galton, Charles Darwin, Sigmund Freud and many others, have been trying to understand how people are transformed by their environment. Researchers have mainly argued whether it is in fact our environment or rather genetics, our biological pre-wiring, which has influenced human behavior. This concept ultimately facilitated what is now known as the Nature versus Nurture debate. The Nature aspect states that human behavior is predetermined by our inherited genes or is the product of our innate behavior. The Nurture side of the disagreement postulates that human behavior stems from acquired attributes through individual learning and experiences. Correspondingly, the Object Relations Theory in psychoanalytic psychology supports the position that a person’s natural environment (i.e. family, peers, acquaintances, society) forms human development. The Object Relations theory stresses that it is the relationships between people, more specially family, often between mother and child, that crafts the human psyche.