...Nature versus nature has always been a heated debate in the scientific community. Nature is considered the biological aspect such as genetics or hormones while nurture is considered learned behavior in an environment. Per Baumeister and Bushman (2014) learning and instinct are crucial components in this dispute and individuals can learn to be aggressive or to restrain aggression. One example I have is nature and nurture in terms of how I grew up. When I was born my parents were in their late teens and still well into their peace, love, and happiness phase. I was always told to let anger roll off me like rain off an umbrella. I was taught aggression is unnecessary and that I should embrace turning the other check and being the bigger person...
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...The Nature or Nature (2014) video explains the debate of nature vs. nurture and how it is reflected on social class. The clip describes how when looked upon studies of twins both genetics and environment effects a person’s behavior and personality. The professor in the video suggests that “children in poverty, their home environment was the most important factor, their genes had no role in shaping them as a person” (McDaid, 2014). Furthermore, he explains that the lower the individual is on a social class ranking, the less their genes are communicated through their behavior and personality. He states that the more money a person attains, the more they are able to “express them”. The debate of nature vs. nurture has been discussed over many years between social scientist and how it has to do with process of socialization. In the textbook it states, “…Thus far, preliminary results from the available twin studies indicate that both genetic factors and socialization...
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...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)...
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...NATURE V.S. NURTURE The Nature vs. Nurture debate is one of the oldest and most commonly debated psychological conflicts around. Arguments from both sides on this subject are hard to dispute. Whether it is in our DNA or it was predisposition it’s hard to agree or disagree with either stand-point being that they both offer interesting and intriguing views that are insightful, informative and unfortunately unfounded. With that being said it’s still an argument that will continue to stand the test of time and continually be debated for centuries down the road until a definitive explanation can be fathomed. Nature vs. Nurture is a phrase for the long-standing controversy as to the relative influences of genetics versus the environment in the development of personality traits. Nature is represented by instincts and genetic influences and nurture by social influences and environment. The Nature part of this debate is influenced by the idea that we get our traits and characteristics from our DNA and nowhere else. It is easy to ascertain and prove that we get our physical traits such as eye color, hair color, height and otherphysical traits from DNA. The unknown is whether we get our more abstract traits from DNA like character, intelligence, sexuality and preferences to likes or dislikes. The Nurture side of this is debatea agrees that genetic influence is a key factor in the abstract physical traits but nothing more. It also goes on saying that the environment that we...
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...Nature vs. Nurture There is an issue that has been conferred upon by philosophers in the past and still so by scientists today. This issue is whether heredity or environment plays a greater role in the determining or shaping of an individual's behavior. It is known as the nature versus nurture debate. Numerous generations before us have deliberated on the reasons behind the development of human behavior. There have been many theories formulated to explain why humans behave the way they do. The surviving theories for behavior derive from physiological and sociological explanations. However, the two explanations have not always been compatible with each other. The famous nature vs. nurture debate over human behavior resulted from conflicting views between proponents of the physiological (nature) and sociological (nurture) explanations. Throughout history, research has swayed popularity back and forth between the theories. Yet, theorists have broken down the line separating nature and nurture. As of today, people utilize both explanations to explore human behavior. Way before our time, early philosophers endeavored to understand the human behavior. As early as 350 BC, such philosophers as Plato and Aristotle tried to understand behavior. The question of nature or nurture as the primary drive can be traced to these times. Plato believed behavior and knowledge was due to innate factors. Author Fiona Cowie states, "The claim that the character of our mental furniture is to...
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...Nature vs. Nurture in Psychology PSYCH 101 Nature vs. Nurture in Psychology What makes you think, feel, and behave the way you do? Were you born predisposed to live the life you are currently living, or were you born a blank canvas upon which your experiences gave shape and expression to the person you are today? These are the types of questions the Nature vs. Nurture debate has posed and scientists have probed for over a century. In this paper we will look at some of the aspects of this debate the scientific community does not attend to, or dismisses, the origin and history of this debate, the essential characteristics around which this issue is debated, and where scientists are today in understanding this issue. What are your thoughts on the Nature vs. Nurture argument? Sir Galton wrote in his book English Men of Science (1874), “Nature is all that a man brings with him into the world; nurture is every influence that affects him after his birth,” (p. 12). I have been led to believe that our biology (nature), our environment (nurture), and our cognitive abilities all interplay and influence our resulting personality and other existing traits. We are, as Myers (2012) continuously asserts, biopsychosocial beings (p.124). These aspects of our existence work in accord to actuate the developmental potential written into our genetic code. Where I think there is a deficiency in the theories proffered, in attempt to answer the Nature vs. Nurture...
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...Running head: NATURE VS. NURTURE/CULTURE The Ongoing Debate of Nature vs. Nurture/Culture Psychology 3520 Social Psychology Abstract In compiling information from our class text and a variety of journals in the Capella library, I have come up with some interest notions on the age old controversy of nature vs. nurture. Biologists declare nature as an innate trait given to all human being (e.g., reflexes and primary needs). Which makes us consider, is this all there is to human development? Is there something else at work? Are there other factors that play a key role in our development? At this turn we must consider nurture/culture. We as human beings are born into societies with all sorts of set norms, social structures and attitudes that manipulate the way in which we develop. The question we will be looking at is which one of these, nature or nurture has the most significant role in our overall development. Or is there yet still something else to add to the pot. Some say there are dimensions that intersect and work in conjunction with one another to form who we are as humans being. Viktor Frankl (1967) noted that the person lives in three interpenetrating dimensions: soma (the physical body), psyche (the emotions and intellect), and the noëtic (the soul). The noëtic dimension includes free will, responsibility, choice, spirituality, and the unique meaning capacity of Homo sapiens. Is it time to reinvent the wheel: Nature, Nurture and Noetic? Introduction The...
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...Retrospective Analysis of Personality Intro to Psychology August 31, 2014 I found doing this paper quite exciting to a certain point, until I really took a moment to glance back into my life and see the changes that have taken place. Through the years I have wondered what made me change my personality towards the way I look at things but now I see why. I drastically made those changes due to the different people and environments I have been. My personality started out as helping anyone I could, even if it left me broke. I still had that great feeling of helping someone out. My sense of humor and acting silly is something I can’t change because I myself enjoy it so much and need it; in this day and age. I have change me eagerness to help people if it means coming straight out of my pocket. I have been used, cheated, and lied to for reason I wouldn’t know why. But this is what has become of our world, and cause me to be more protective of my feelings as well as my outlook. It’s quite sad to add that majority of my friends I can’t like I use to but just as the saying goes. Keep your friends close but enemies closer. Fast-growing understanding of the human genome has made it clear that both sides of the debate have merit. Nature endows us with inborn abilities and traits; nurture takes these genetic tendencies and molds them as we learn and mature. That’s it, right? Ha! The "nature vs nurture" debate still rages on, as scientist fight over how much of who we are is shaped by...
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...Nature vs. Nurture Over the years there has been a pretty big debate over nature verses nurture and which one plays the larger role in human development and how they act. Nature is the genetics or hereditary influences of a person; basically nature is the genes you are born with that can’t be changed. Nurture is experiential or environmental influences that you develop over time after you are born, such as how your parents raise you which gives you a large variety to how you will act as you develop. The question is which one of these two determines what kind of person you are. Im going to try to give a better idea of the difference in nature and nurture. Lots of people believe nature plays the larger part. A person’s genes can determine whether a person is predisposed to a disease or illness for example people who are born with genetic disorder such as Down syndrome have trouble with information processing. Their mental hardware, which are cognitive structures including different memories where information is stored, and their mental software, which are organized sets of cognitive processes that enable people to complete specific takes like reading sentences, playing video games, or hitting a baseball. These things will ultimately effect the way they grow up and the way they see and do things. A person who is affected with those types of diseases shows how nature can directly effect the development of an individual. A new technique called developmental genetic analysis...
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...separately, with no knowledge of their twinship. Neubauer also recognized the exceptional research possibilities such a separation offered. Studies of twins reared apart are one of the most powerful tools that scholars have to analyze the relative contributions of heredity and environment to the makeup of individual human natures. Identical twins are rare, however, and twins who have been separated and brought up in different families are particularly unusual. Neubauer was aware of a mere handful of studies examining twins reared apart, and in most cases the twins being studied had been separated for only part of their childhoods and were reunited at some point long before the study began. Here was an opportunity to look at twins from the moment they were separated, and to trace them through childhood, observing at each stage of development the parallel or diverging courses of their lives. Because the sisters shared the same genetic makeup, one could evaluate the environmental effects on the twins' personalities, their behavior, their health, their intelligence. Such a study might not set to rest the ancient quarrel over the relative importance of nature versus nurture, but there were few other experiments...
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...Retrospective Analysis of Personality Retrospective Analysis of Personality Reflection of My Life History Growing up in Gary, Indiana, I moved to Houston, TX when I was 10 years old when my parents got a divorce. Being in a new city away from all of my childhood friends, I was very shy and reserved. My mom made me go to Sunday school at church each weekend and I believe this was to allow me to meet new friends. I never liked Sunday school or going to church as a kid or even playing any sports. Then around my freshman year of high school I decided to try out for football, mainly because my best friend talked me into it. I was one to follow the crowd by the time I became a teenager and that got me into a lot of trouble. For example, sneaking out of my bedroom window with my mother’s car keys to go for a joyride with my buddies at the age of 14. There was no father figure in my home, so I would either go to my best friend or my coaches to fill that void. I was the exact opposite of a leader. Finally by the time I reached my senior year, my personality started to take a turn for the better. As a senior football player with 3 years of experience, I became a leader on the team. After high school, I joined the Army National Guard and that was another culture shock for me. Going through this experience taught me further leadership skills and proved to myself that I could accomplish anything that I put my mind to. Later in life I met my wife and she was a woman that loved...
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...Frankenstein Essay Assignment For this essay, you will choose a focus in the novel, Frankenstein, and create an original argument based on it. Your writing may be strictly literary analysis or it may take the form of a compare/contrast essay that works to connect an aspect of the novel to concepts or events outside the book. You are free to choose whatever focus you like in the novel. A good starting point is to consider what aspects of Frankenstein interest you most as you read it; for example you might be particularly drawn to the monster’s development, the relationship between Victor and Walton, Victor and the monster, the role of women, the nature vs. nurture debate, the importance of companionship, or the role of nature in the book. Here are some topic ideas that you may choose if you would like to connect the novel to outside sources: 1) Psychology/Identity formation- research child development, nature vs. nurture, and connect what you find to the monster’s development in the novel. What does Shelley’s novel seem to suggest about how identity is formed? Compare and contrast Shelley’s views with your research. 2) Philosophy- Shelley was heavily influenced by Locke and Rousseau, two major philosophical thinkers. Read excerpts of their works, and apply concepts from their writings to the novel. 3) Shelley’s biography- If you are interested in learning more about the writer behind the story, this is a good option for you. It won’t take you long to see...
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...There has always been the ongoing debate as to whether nature or nurture plays a role in criminality. Some individuals may be predisposed and have a higher risk of developing criminal behavior due to some biological factors. Psychologists have been able to identify patterns using twin or adoption studies finding links with genetic testing which shows aggressiveness or the lack of self-control of one’s behavior. A meta-analysis preformed on 12 twins and 3 adoptions showed anti-social behavior that linked to genetics of criminality. This reveled that forty-eight percent could possibly be linked to genetically controlled criminal tendencies. (Mason, 1994) With the possible links to aggressiveness and genetics there have also been studies done into levels of hormones and their effects. Generally speaking, men tend to be more aggressive than women, this fact has led some to believe a spike in testosterone could in part be responsible for aggressive or criminal behavior. Olweus and his colleagues (1980) conducted a study of 58 16-year-old boys by testing various responses to physical and verbal aggression, frustration tolerance, self-confidence, and anxiety, and also obtaining blood samples, testing for testosterone levels. The study revealed that while personality measures had no significant relationship to testosterone, there were verbal and physical aggression in response to threats. Also that the lack of tolerance for frustration was related to testosterone level. Based on this...
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...family members, criminal peers etc.). In Akers et al study on social learning and deviant behaviour, data on adolescent drinking and drug-taking behaviour was collected by a survey. A large sample of teenagers was surveyed, with a small sub-group interviewed to check the validity of the data. Quantitative data was collected by asking about the frequency of their alcohol and drug consumption on a scale of 1 (never) to 6 (nearly everyday) and qualitative data was collected by asking about their alcohol or drug related experience, why they were involved in alcohol and drug consumption, are they following a role model, what reward or punishment they get by this behaviour and if others (parents etc.) object to their behaviour. Statistical analysis showed that social learning theory can be used to predicted alcohol use with 55% accuracy and drug use with 68% accuracy. The most effective predictive variable was differential association, specifically the number of peers that use...
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...various theories that explore human interaction and its resultant outcomes. Lecture #1 Notes: This week’s notes will provide a brief introduction into the discipline of Social Psychology - covering some of the basic principles and tenets of this branch of psychology before we dive into the topics and research. So what is Social Psychology? Definition of Social Psychology: the scientific field that seeks to understand the nature and causes of individual behavior and thought in social situations. • Allport (1935) defined social psychology as the scientific study of how people’s thoughts, feelings and behaviours are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others. • Social Situations = actual, imagined or implied presence of others • Behavior = Overt behavior plus thoughts, feelings, beliefs, attitudes • Scientific Field = Combination of Arts and Science skills How Does Social Psychology Differ from Sociology? • Differ in level of analysis Sociology: Tends to use societal level of analysis. How do unemployment rates affect levels of violent crime in Vancouver? Social Psychology: Tends to focus on the individual in the context of a social situation. What Kind of questions do Social Psychologists Ask? • How does the person construe (perceive, interpret) that situation? • How do these perceptions affect thoughts and feelings? • How do these thoughts and feelings affect behavior? How Does...
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