The Role of Nature vs Nurture
"We used to think our fate was in our stars. Now, we know, in large part, that our fate is in our genes." ---James Watson
While social research has been steady and ongoing, our biological knowledge has advanced disproportionately in recent times. As we discover more about the role of genes in pre-determining who we are, the nature versus nurture debate seems headed for a tilt of the biological over the environmental.
Nature, or our biological aspect, does matter a lot. From the point of fertilization, genes guide the growth of cells, the embryo and eventually the fetus. The physical configuration of the newborn, from the positioning of the limbs right down to dimples, is almost entirely charted by
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Nowhere do genes exhibit their vital role more dramatically than in the case of genetic disorders. Genetic scientists have uncovered an increasing number of genes that code for diseases such as sickle-cell anemia, Turner syndrome, and many others. It has further been shown how the slightest alteration of the human genome leads to exaggerated, often disastrous results.
The role of nurture, on the other hand, is sometimes neglected behind the bustle of scientific discoveries. Though human growth in the womb is guided by strict genetic instructions, external factors are equally capable of influencing growth. Expectant mothers who smoke give birth to infants with lower birth-weight, while drugs and other teratogens are known to affect infant physical and cerebral development. Cases of children abandoned in the wilderness have shown that without social interaction and practice, language does not develop on its own, despite the universal signs of linguistic pre-wiring. In the Rhesus monkey study, the researcher discovered that although some monkeys are by nature more temperamental, leaving them in the care of patient and devoted mother monkeys ameliorates their fiery temper. Likewise, for humans, Urie Bronfenbrenner's ecological model of human development argues that human development is influenced by a spectrum of external factors from the closest - the family, up to culture and social milieu. For example, research has shown that children brought up in an
One of the oldest debates in the history of Psychology is about Nature versus Nurture. Today, we know that both play a significant role in human’s life. Some people believe that it is genes which affects our way of life and some people believes that it is none other but our environment that greatly influences our lifestyle and some believe that both has tremendous impact on one’s way of life. Indeed in certain cases both our nature (our genes) and our environment roughly play an equal role in human life.
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
Scientists have been debating the nature versus nurture issue for over a hundred years. The British physician
One of the most enduring debates in the field of psychology is the controversial idea of nature vs. nurture. Throughout the endless history of the debate, no clear conclusion has been met, only hypotheses have been formed. At the center of the debate, human behaviors, ideas, and feelings are being determined, whether they are learned or inherited. Determining physical traits, such as eye color or hair color, are simple because they are hereditary traits. The idea of having a certain personality, intelligence, or ability is under discussion because scientists cannot determine if these traits are learned, or predetermined by genes.
Nature plays an important role and shapes a human's lifestyle. The question is which has a greater influence, Nature genes that we're born with or Nurture the environment we live in? Nowadays people tend to live and act based on their Genes. Genes can be anything from a person's height, hair color, eye color, fatigue, personality, and behaviors. Humans have been inheriting traits from decades ago. Nevertheless, Researchers and Psychologists and Scientists think that Genes are the answer to our actions. I agree with them because “You inherit your environment just as much as your genes" – Johnny Rich. This essay will persuade the reader as to why I chose Nature, why/how is it more important than Nurture, provide case studies/examples and reasons for Nature's importance.
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,
The old and popular debate between ‘nature vs. nurture’ has generated a lot of interest in newborns, who were previously thought to be ‘blank slates’, and has contributed a lot to developmental psychology, a field of psychology focusing on studying infants. It is now generally accepted that both nature and nurture make equal contribution to the infant’s development.
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
In conclusion, genetics make us who we are. If not for the different diseases, and other traits we receive from our parents, and their parents and many generations before,
When we look at the science of human development, the main consideration is how people change over time. In the age old question of nature versus nurture, there are some that believe the characteristics and traits within us are innate, meaning we are born with them. Still others feel that nurturing, our environmental influences like friends, community, schools, media and even parents affect who we are. This is a false dichotomy, it is not which-but how much of each because both play crucial roles in our development (Berger 2015).
The nature vs nurture debate is one of the most enduring in the field of psychology.How far are human behaviors, ideas, and feelings, INNATE and how far are they all LEARNED?These issues are at the
Many children are raised by parents who make bad decisions but not all of those children grow up to make the same mistakes. Obviously our overall physical appearance is something decided before birth, by nature. That is something environment will never have any effect on. Our personality however, can be shaped by the people we meet, situations we find ourselves in, how we are raised, and many other varying factors.
Human growth and development is an incredibly complex process, influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. At certain times and for certain developments, genetic influences dominate, whereas at other times, environmental influences are more powerful which emphasizes the fact that genetic and environmental forces are always working together (Sigelman and Rider, 2009).
Throughout history, our society’s socialization, or lifelong social experiences, has been debated upon quite vigorously. It is quite evident that we all obtain certain characteristics and abilities through heredity factors, but many still argue that this is not the only explanation for how our lives are determined. The argument of nature versus nurture is still being discussed by many, although both have been seen to have an impact on our life experiences.
Human development is a very complex process – from conception to death. There has been a long debate on whether human development is determined by nature or nurture. If their growths were all guided by nature only, they would all be born with a mind of “blank slate”. This means that they do not have any inborn ability to do anything when they are born. On the other hand, if their growth was determined by nurture only, it would mean that they were fully equipped with all the skills they need in their lives when we are born. In other words, all the physical and mental skills they have right now would have been inherited from their parents and the environment they grow up in has no effect. This essay will focus on the effects of both