...Nature versus Nurture Psychology 101 The flight test director for Boeing and a drug addict living in a trailer have more in common than you might think; in this case they are siblings. The brothers are born from the same parents, raised in the same home, given the same opportunities, yet polar opposites of one another. Scenarios such as this pose the question of what makes a person who they are, their environment, or their genes. For centuries the controversy between nature and nurture has been argued among experts. The debate is whether environmental influences or genetic inheritance is responsible for our human makeup. History of Nature versus Nurture From the thirteenth century researcher to present day, the nature nurture controversy is anything but a new topic, although techniques and biases may differ throughout the centuries. In the Beginning In 1874, Francis Galton, published his book English Men of Science: Their Nature and Nurture, which “lays partial claim to the nature versus nurture phrase” (Groff, 1998, para.1). Galton states nature and nurture, “separates under two distinct heads the innumerable elements of which personality is composed. Nature is all that a man brings with him into the world; nurture is every influence from without that affects him after his birth” (Galton, 1874). However, in 1911 a manuscript was found dating back to the thirteenth century which suggested the terms of nature and nurture as well. Previous to this, the philosophers...
Words: 1207 - Pages: 5
...Homosexuality: A Case of Nature versus Nurture By Robert L Smith Instructor: Mr. Simbarashe Chiduma A RESEARCH PAPER Submitted to Baker College in partial fulfillment of requirements For class: Soc 201 Winter 2012 Homosexual is defined as: “of, relating to, or characterized by a tendency to direct sexual desire toward another of the same sex” (Webster’s Dictionary, 4th ed., 2003) The nature approach is based on a chance that humans are born with a specific gene that determines if they will be homosexual. "In other words, some people are born gay." (Johnson, 2003) The nurture approach tells that people are influenced by their surroundings. In this approach, "A nurtured gay person is one that is 'made' gay." (Johnson, 2003) Originally the American Psychological Association (APA) had deemed homosexuality a mental disease. The debate now- a-days revolve around if sexuality is based on nature, a person’s environment, or based on nurture, a person’s upbringing. Alfred Kinsey pioneered one of the earliest experiments in the 1930s. Kinsey’s research resulted in little besides putting the word homosexual into the common language. Karen Hooker completed the first psychological test in 1957. The research was put together to investigate the relationship between homosexuality, psychological development, and illness. The subjects were given three tests, the Rorschach, TAT, and MAPS. She determined that there was no link between social determinism of sexuality...
Words: 937 - Pages: 4
...behavior, intelligence, and personality. Ultimately, the old argument of nature vs. nurture has never really been won. We do not yet know how much of what we are is determined by our DNA and how much by our life experience. But we do know that both play a part. What is Nature vs Nurture? It has been reported that the use of the terms "nature" and "nurture" as a convenient catch-phrase for the roles of heredity and environment in human development can be traced back to 13th century France. Some scientists think that people behave as they do according to genetic predispositions or even "animal instincts." This is known as the "nature" theory of human behavior. Other scientists believe that people think and behave in certain ways because they are taught to do so. This is known as the "nurture" theory of human behavior. Fast-growing understanding of the human genome has recently made it clear that both sides are partly right. Nature endows us with inborn abilities and traits; nurture takes these genetic tendencies and molds them as we learn and mature. End of story, right? Nope. The "nature vs nurture" debate still rages on, as scientist fight over how much of who we are is shaped by genes and how much by the environment. The Nature Theory - Heredity Scientists have known for years that traits such as eye color and hair color are determined by specific genes encoded in each human cell. The Nature Theory takes things a step further to say that more abstract traits such...
Words: 473 - Pages: 2
...I think that the question about how much of a particular behavior is based on genetics and how much is based on experience is a flawed question because all behavior comes from experience, and who we are comes from our genetics. Really there is no way to measure how much of your behavior comes from either genetics or experience. We are born and through experience we learn, and we grow into the person we are going to be. Who we are is in our genetics. We do not choose our parents. Both genetics and experience go hand in hand when it comes to behavior. We are born with certain characteristics that we cannot change and have no control over and we learn through watching others. I do not think that genetics or experience is more dominant than the other. It is important to take into consideration both genetics and experience when measuring development. With genetics we have no control over. We are born to our parents and that is that. We carry certain genes. We may be apt to act in certain ways because it is in our blood, some might say, it runs in the family. As for experience, we can learn through experience. At a young age we learn that if we touch the stove while it is on we will get burned. Therefore we do not touch the stove while it is on. We now can choose to get burned or not to. Even though genetics comes naturally and experience is not our behavior consist of the combination of both. They have to be viewed separately but they go hand in...
Words: 276 - Pages: 2
...Question of Nature Versus Nurture Bernard Stevens Lux Ferre University Senior Research April 26, 2011 Abstract What influences more, society on the individual or collective individuals on society? Is society, thereby the individual, constructed by a set of pre-existing material conditions, or a pre-existing social condition? The philosophical origins of the question of nature versus nurture, are steeped in the ancient Greek philosophers nomos-physis debate in which the question is man the product (his actions) of conventional law or natural law? If so, is it possible to be balance of both, as suggested by Plato’s construction of the kallopolis (ideal city) in The Republic. For centuries, in Western Philosophy, the debate of which has dominion over man, nature or nurture, has been key to the establishment of many disciplines in the arts and sciences such as sociology, philosophy, and biology. Research suggest in ancient Greek civilization, the debate was termed as the Nomos-Physis debate, in which Plato challenged and/or expounded upon Pre-Socratic philosophers beliefs as to which rules man. The core subject matter is not, as in Psychology, a debate of which determines the personality traits of an individual per se, but whether or not man acts according to the laws of nature (Physis) or laws of man (Nomos). Though it appears psychology is not the essence of the ancient question of nature versus nurture...
Words: 4729 - Pages: 19
...This paper explores if it is genotype or phenotype that makes people who they are. Scientists and biologists have disagreed for many years which of these characteristics has the greatest impact on the psychological development of a person, particularly children. There is no dispute that nature is responsible for our genetic makeup - the colour of our eyes, hair and our height. But is this the same for behaviour? If a person is aggressive is this due to having been born with aggressive tendencies or is it a learned behaviour through their own upbringing? I have been able to observe a Year 4 child who has a twin brother in another school but the brothers live together in the same home environment. The reason the children are in different schools is because one child had been excluded from the school with his siblings and was transferred to a behavioural unit. There the child was diagnosed with dyspraxia which was causing him to lose his temper and lash out at his peers in frustration. This gave an ideal opportunity to observe the influences of nature and nurture on the development of 2 otherwise identical children. For most children with dyspraxia it is unknown why they have the condition. Children with developmental dyspraxia are found not to have any clear neurological disease. Research suggests that there is an under developed neurone while the brain was developing. Dyspraxia is a recognised impairment of movement commonly known as clumsy child syndrome. Children with...
Words: 1016 - Pages: 5
...which they find themselves. Cooing usually starts at around the three month stage (Karmiloff Smith 1994) and the response of the adult…can act as a ‘reward’ encouraging thesis early attempts at sound making and interaction” (David Goouch, Powell & Abbott,2003:821) This essay will discuss the acquisition of language in the first two years of a child’s life, looking at different theories and approaches that have been explored over recent years. The essay aims to distinguish if language acquisition is an in built skill which we are all born with or if it is a learned skill which we acquire as we interact with the world around us. Skinner (1957) put forward the argument in favour of the debate that language is developed through nurture- saying that language is a learnt behaviour. Skinner provided that children simply repeat utterances they have heard, this implies that language acquisition is a simple case of rote learning(Ambridge & Lieven,2011:242). He believed that much of what we learn is from the environment around us, he used his theory of operant conditioning to explain how and why we have developed the ability to communicate through spoken words. Operant conditioning, to put it very simply suggests that if a behaviour is rewarded the subject will continue to behave that way. In the case of language acquisition , a child will say a word correctly and be rewarded. For example if a child is able to say the word “banana” they will be given the banana or praised...
Words: 1604 - Pages: 7
...Describe the basic elements of the nature-nurture controversy. The amount of influence that genes have on personality verses the influence of learning experiences is not only related to genetics but also psychology. The debate of nature- nurture controversy has been studied for over 130 years and is still being researched. “After studying many prominent English families, Galton concluded that intelligence is inherited- that nature, not nurture, is responsible for intelligence” (Wood, Wood, & Boyd, 2005, p. 278). Nature refers to an individual’s innate qualities. Genes is considered nature, the physical and personality traits determined by ones genes will always stay the same. The coding of genes determines an individual’s traits such as eye color, hair color, and height. Nurture refers to personal experiences. This refers to ones childhood and how they were raised. This debate will always be controversial. An individual’s traits are predetermined by their genes but life experiences are what shape a person. There have been many research studies completed regarding this debate with no conclusive results. Discuss what is controversial in the nature- nurture debate. Nature versus nurture is one of the most frequently debated issues among psychologists. The term was created by a British researcher Sir Francis Galton who studied the role of genes in intelligence. The debate is about the importance of an individual’s inherited qualities versus personal experiences in determining...
Words: 863 - Pages: 4
...Abstract The quest for an answer to what determines human behavior has been going on for many years now, is it nature or nurture? The broad scope of human behavior has compelled researchers across various fields to systematically analyze what compels individuals to act the way they do. Is human behavior encoded in genetics or does it evolve by way of individual experience and environment. Through the review of recent empirical data across these various fields it is clear that both nature and nurture plan an important role in the development of human behavior. Subsequently multidirectional models have emerged with a mounting emphasis on how nature and nurture act independently in addition to collectively each forever shaping the other. Together Nature and Nurture Shape Human Behavior. The discussion concerning the appropriate significance of genetics and environment in human behavior has been around for quite a long while. This topic has generated massive attention, throughout the years, gaining numerous supporters on both sides of the debate. This attention essentially, has lead to some of the most remarkable psychological discoveries in recent years. The terms nature and nurture can be traced back to13th century France, expressed by Francis Galton in 1874 (Nature versus nurture, 2011). The term nurture in refers to the manner in which behavior is shaped by culture and environment. It builds its foundation on John B. Watson's theory of behaviorism...
Words: 1898 - Pages: 8
...Since the beginning of recorded time one has been told that ‘you have your mothers eyes’ or ‘You’re tall like your father’ and it has been accepted that humans inherit their appearance traits from their parents, however where does one get their talent for hockey, their intelligence, or their habits; does one learn these from their environment or were they programmed by genetics? Well this brings to light the age old debate of nature vs. nurture. The Nature and Nurture debate stems into many areas that make humans what they are, with one of those factors being their religion, and when examining religion it is found that nurture trumps nature in shaping the beliefs of oneself. Since the Ancient Egyptians and even before (Mesopotamians) religion and spirituality have existed, there has been a consensual acceptance that there is a God, and when one closes their eyes for the last time, they become one with God, or in some cases; the devil or the ‘netherworld’. Through those times and the times of the Catholic church according to world renowned psychologist Dr Olivera Petrovich; “Religion has become the natural state-it is now hard wired by families into babies brains, it is atheism that is learned”. She bases the mantra of religion being parental based on a study of four hundred B.C. children of different faiths, and many aged four-six Japanese children. When asking all of these children about their faith they all without any guidance from their parents say they believe in God;...
Words: 759 - Pages: 4
...Nature vs. Nurture Troy Crosland WGU Issues in Behavior Science GLT1 Nature vs. Nurture Issues concerning the nature vs. nurture debate are amongst the oldest in science. This debate centers around the argument of biological and genetic contributions as opposed to those imposed on human development from environmental factors. Many scholars such as Descartes and Plato suggest many of our individual traits are inherited from our parents, they happen naturally regardless of any influence from our environment. John Locke and many other prominent thinkers have promoted the idea of tabula rasa (blank slate), which promotes the idea that when born our minds are like a blank slate ready to be shaped by experience and influence from our environment. (Cherry, 2011, p. 1) The controversy surrounding the nature vs. nurture debate is over whether children develop various attributes based on their genetics known as “nature” or is it more associated to how they are raised which is know as “nurture”. (Sessions & Larson, 2011, expression 1) So why does it matter if we are born intelligent, or become intelligent? There are many reasons the nature vs. nurture debate continues, her are a few reasons: * Parenthood/Relationships: If specific attributes are due to environmental factors (nurture), parents and educators can implement the most effective methods discovered in order to get the best results. If said attributes are determined to be more influenced by genetics (nature)...
Words: 1115 - Pages: 5
...NATURE VS NUTURE 1 Nature and Nurture Development Mary Smith PSY 330 Tim Wilder January 26, 2014 NATURE VS NUTURE 2 The nature versus nurture debate, as it relates to human development, is unique and gravitates to all humans for decades. In the field of psychology, the question frequently arises as to how much of human behavior is due to environment and how much is due to genetic influence. There are various methods used to determine if violent behavior is a function of nature or nurture. There was a study conducted in Germany and the UK, which involved a child’s behavior due to their environment and how much is due to their genetics. “It is society (or culture, respectively) into which the children are born, with its prevailing behavioral norms, creeds, social structures, attitudes, mentalities, etc., which imprints and profiles the newborn humans” (Voland, E., 2000). Nature are the elements which make up a person such as their qualities. Nurture is to raise, educate, support and love a person. Violence is a natural phenomenon that should be treated, or violence is a learned behavior that children should be taught to avoid. Before making an assumption or decision, onlookers of the debate should consider how genetics may come into play in the behaviors of individuals, how environment may affect an individual’s behaviors, and how they both may interact to create violence as a whole. Nature refers to an individual's...
Words: 534 - Pages: 3
...Historical background: Nature versus nurture is one of the oldest debated questions in history. Francis Galton (1822-1911) was the first to coin the term “nature versus nurture” as. However, the idea of the relationship between nature and nurture was foreshadowed, after the Renaissance period, by the French Philosopher René Descartes (1596-1650) and further argued by John Locke (1632-1704). The Renaissance was a period that lasted about 200 years during the 15th and 16th centuries, and came about from the western world’s discovery of ancient Greek and Roman texts containing the history of philosophy’s forefathers which they had never seen or read before. These discoveries unearthed a multitude of unanswered questions and philosophical inspiration that led to advances in the arts, sciences and technology. During this time period there was a push for an inductive method to the sciences, or systematic observations, with the ultimate goal being the ability to recreate the method and find the same, or similar, results (Goodwin, C. James, 2012, p. 29-37)....
Words: 559 - Pages: 3
...each time he/she hears the word chocolate he/she will salivate since they associate the word with the taste of chocolate. In the operant conditioning children learn by reinforcement and confirmation. Consequently learning language iis focused on nurture. Chomsky considers that vocabulary is employed creatively and is initiated by the environment at a specific age otherwise it will never occur. To illustrate, Jeanine a thirteen year old who was restricted to isolation by her father was not subjected to language, she was never able to utilize language again. This backs up Chomsky concept that language is natural and if this is not learned by a certain age it will not be attained. All these hypotheses are an additional demonstration of just how distinct the perceptions of naturist is as compared to nurturists. To summaries, as shown an enormous amount of work has gone into studies set out to investigate the human development. Moreover, these theories have looked at how humans develop their personality, intelligence, how they interact with family and peers and how that affects their development and what forces drives this development. Although plenty of evidence has been presented in order to support either side in this nature versus nurture debate it seems almost...
Words: 433 - Pages: 2
...Nature vs. Nurture ECE205 Mrs. Tonya Jeremiah 10/12/2015 The nature versus nurture debate is an old issue within the field of psychology. Nature vs. Nurture is a scientific debate that describes how humans develop gradually and become who they will be in life. The nature-nurture issue has continually one that has resurfaced in come back up recently in research becoming a debate on the variety of roles that gene (DNA) and an individual’s environment may or may not affect an individual’s mental state of mind. Researchers debate what is inherited; which is related to nature, and what is caused from one’s surroundings or environment which would be one’s nurture. It is said that the debate essentially refers to how each individual is affected developmentally by nature vs. nurture. This debate details rather or not intelligence, gender identities, violent behaviors, and sexual orientation is caused by one or both nature and nurture. Looking at research there seems to be a variety of different studies that explain whether intelligence is in fact an inherited trait; or does an individual’s environment whom they will become. When discussing the environmental factors, there are many elements that must be looked into make a successful determination as to if a child is affected by their surroundings. Research has said that both physical environments and social environments play a major role in child development. For example a child’s prenatal nutrition can cause lifelong effects...
Words: 669 - Pages: 3
