...Epigentics vs Nature vs Nurture Santina Wood ENG101 Argosy University 03/4/2014 Instructor Benjamin Atkins Epigenetics -vs- Nature -vs- Nurture The nature vs nurture debate is still ongoing, and within this debate, the world of science and psychology are faced with two new questions. Today we find some researchers asking; "Is development predetermined at birth, by hereditary factors, or do experience and other environ -mental factors affect it?", and "Can the two work together in shaping human development and behavior?" Developmental psychologists still attempt to find the answers to these questions in order to discover the sources of growth in children's cognitive, language, and social skills. Most developmental psychologists believe that nature and nurture combine to influence biological factors playing a stronger role in some aspects, such as physical development, and environmental factors playing a stronger role in others, such as moral development. They are also beginning to acknowledge the role of a variable combination of both inborn factors and social experiences when explaining children's behavior. Scientists and Psychologists have a name for such an occurrence; epigenetics/epigenesis. In this essay, I will be presenting to my audience information on this highly, and sometimes heated debate, as well as the reasons as to why the belief of this dual influence called epigenetics is becoming more fact than theory. For...
Words: 1643 - Pages: 7
...Ashley Gibbons PSY-400:History and Systems of Psychology Final Paper January 22, 2015 The nature versus nurture debate has lasted for centuries because of the difficulty of separating genetic and environmental factors in human beings. Psychologists have been debating for years and years if genetics or your surroundings are more important in determining your personalities. It is truly fascinating to stop and ask your self some questions. What makes me shy or brave? What makes me smart and what makes me lack common sense? What makes me the way I am? Is it the way I was born and the genetics I have or is it because of the environment I grew up around and the behaviors I caught on to? Just thinking about all the questions you can stop and ask yourself about why you are the way you are can give you some idea as to why nature versus nurture is still such a big debate today. The coding in each of our cells determines the different traits that we are going to have, more dominantly like the eye color, hair color, ear size and height. “However, it is still not known weather the more abstract attributes like personality, intelligence, sexual orientation, likes and dislikes are gene coded in our DNA, too”(explorable.com). One of the hottest issues that people like to bring up today regarding looking at the nature theory is the gay issue. People like the say that there is an actual “gay gene” that exists and that gay people are born that way. Another issue that we face today would be the...
Words: 2422 - Pages: 10
...Life Span Perspective Essay Mary "Beth" Walker PSY/375 October 28, 2014 Erica Yahya Life Span Perspective Essay Changes are always occurring in the development of an individual's life, from the day an individual is conceived to the day that the individual passes away. This essay will describe the physical and cognitive changes in the field of psychology that is called "Lifespan Development." This essay will also describe some of the theories involved in the field and how heredity and environment shape an individual. Each and every person goes through several stages, starting with infancy, childhood, adolescence, early adulthood, middle age, older age and then eventually death. The infancy stage, is the birth to two years old and is crucial stage for the development of relationships with others. The infant is totally dependent on an adult and learns that the world surrounding them is a safe place; this is the stage when bonding occurs. The childhood stage is two through ten years old. There are numerous changes in this stage; the child becomes less dependent on the adults in their life and gains more self-control of their physical and cognitive abilities. From the age of ten to twenty years old the individual is in adolescence, the adolescent is developing their identity and the thought process is more complex and logical. The early adulthood stage is from the age of twenty to forty years of age. In this stage the person is gaining financial independence, working in...
Words: 1054 - Pages: 5
...that stimulate their students’ cognitive growth. There are many theories behind how this can be done. This essay will examine the impact of one of leading theorists of children’s cognitive development, Jerome Bruner (1915- ). Bruner’s influence on teaching practice is still relevant for teachers today. Several examples from my recent practicum illustrate how teachers could apply aspects of Bruner’s theories such as the nature vs nurture debate, categorization, discovery learning, spiral curriculum and three modes of representation. Cognitive development is a field of psychology theorizing children’s mental ability to process information and to critically think, reason, remember and understand that information (Duchesne, McMaugh Bochner, & Krauser, 2013). The nature vs nurture debate is ever present in this area. Theorists have different viewpoints on the extent to which nature, genes, DNA and maturation determine a person’s cognitive abilities. Are we born with a fixed cognitive ability? Or are how we were raised, our interactions and our experience the major factors in our cognitive growth? Bruner believed that our cognitive development was determinant on both nature and nurture. Nurture was significant because it would amplify a human’s natural cognitive capabilities (McLeod, 2008). Bruner’s early theories were constructivist in that he based his cognitive development around categorization and discovery learning. Categorization is how children cognitively grow through processing...
Words: 1389 - Pages: 6
...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...
Words: 654 - Pages: 3
...Development through the life stages The human lifespan Throughout this essay I will be going into depth of the life of Michael Jackson. I will be informing you on what he went through in each life stage he went experienced and also including debates on nature and nurture and discussing which sides affected him as a person. Infancy Michael Jackson was born in a poverty stricken area called Gary, in Indiana. He was born in 1958 and was the 7th of nine children. He was raised in a poor, lower class family this may be because he had one working parent which was his father called Joe Jackson, He was a steel worker in a factory however his mother was a home maker. For every infant the same developments occur. As there isn’t a lot of information about Michael when in infancy I can still figure out what happened during the ages 0-3 years old. Reflexes and motor skills are learnt at the ages between 0-2, this is when an infant will learn the different sensations. The reflexes involve, sucking, grasping, blinking and stepping. It’s also normal for an infant’s weight to change so Michael also experienced weight change whilst growing in this stage. Michael would have developed gross motor skills at this stage, this means he had the ability to turn and hold his head up. Other motor skills would be learning to sit up, roll over, stand up and also walk. Social development of an infant is the social skills that are learnt at the ages of 0-3 years old. Michael would have experienced many...
Words: 4040 - Pages: 17
...The term "human growth and development" is used to explain the changes a person will undertake from cradle to grave. These changes include; physical, emotional, social and intelligence changes and will cover life events such as bereavement and loss. Through the discussion on each theory, this essay will demonstrate how both environmental and genetic factor influence the development of a child or adult and how life events can disrupt the normal development of a person. Deviance from the normal course of development can cause crisis events in a person's life and it is because of these, social work intervention may be required. It is important for a social worker to understand how people develop and comprehend how life events can impact a person's quality of life and their interaction with society. This can be done through the application of development and learning theories. It is also important to understand that each person is an individual and that past life events do not always have the negative outcomes as discussed with each theory. In the Origin of the Species, Darwin (1859) set out his ubiquitous theory of genetics and how living things are influenced by genetic makeup rather than their environment. His book was the starting point for the controversial argument of nature verses nurture. This debate is one of the longest running in terms of human growth and development and is relatively simple. The theory puts forward an argument to try and explain one of the most common...
Words: 1443 - Pages: 6
...correlated to a mix of nature and nurture rather than one or the other. Another thing that divides serial killers from other murderers is the motives behind their actions. Most murders committed are done by people that know the victim, and had some motive or reason behind killing them, serial killers usually have no direct motive other than a want for power and control over the victim. This is why serial killers can kill so many without being caught and the police finding only strands of evidence behind them on multiple different...
Words: 2068 - Pages: 9
...------------------------------------------------- Red River College ECE Program ECED-2009 Research Essay Assignment Value: 30% Select a topic related to Early Childhood Education for this assignment. The list on the following page may be helpful for some ideas, although you are not restricted to these topics. Approve your topic with your instructor by: _______ . Duplication of topics will not be allowed, and topic choice is on a first-come, first-served basis. Search for resources related to this topic. Check the Learning Centre, as well as the Library. Conduct an Internet search. For your paper, you need a minimum of 4 current (less than 8 years old) references. Include a minimum of one of each of the following: - book - scholarly journal article (from EBSCOHOST or other scholarly database) - reliable internet source. Use the APA style of documentation (see text) to write a 3 - 4 page paper. Include an introduction, thesis statement, body (that includes background information and at least 3 points of discussion), a conclusion, and a reference page. The reference page is not included in the length. You will also complete a 5 minute presentation to the class based on your research. Refer to Considerations for Effective Presentations. Use peer editing as part of your writing process. That is, when you have a draft completed, ask at least one peer to provide feedback using the peer editing rubric. Be mindful of the peer’s schedule...
Words: 895 - Pages: 4
...Development through the life stages. UNIT 4 P1 M1 D1 Development through the life stages. UNIT 4 P1 M1 D1 * Introduction In this essay I will be explaining the development throughout the life stages. This is including conception, pregnancy (1st, 2nd and 3rd trimesters), birth and infancy (0-3years), childhood (4-9years), adolescence (10-18years), adulthood (19-65years), older adulthood (65+) and the final stages of life. This will include physical, intellectual, emotional and social development. I will further this by discussing nature versus nurture, and conclude by evaluating how this will affect the physical, intellectual, emotional and social development. * Conception Each month a group of eggs in the ovaries grow in small sacks named follicles. Eventually one of these eggs leaves, this is ovulation. This typically takes places 2 weeks before the next period is due. Once the egg leaves the follicle it develops into the corpus luteum, releasing a hormone to thicken the uterus lining, preparing for the egg. Once released the egg travels to the fallopian tube, where it remains for 24hrs waiting for sperm to fertilize it. This takes around 2 weeks after the period. If there is no sperm to fertilize the egg, it travels through the uterus and falls apart. The hormone levels return to normal, and the uterus sheds the lining, starting the period. If a sperm does make its way into the egg, it fertilizes, no other sperm will be able to access the egg. As soon as fertilization...
Words: 5057 - Pages: 21
...theories regarding the first two years. The three most significant theories on growth and development was done by, Erikson, Freud, and Piaget. Erikson’s theory is psychosocial. This is when the child interacts with his surroundings through physical action such as pushing, sucking, and grabbing and much more. From birth until about one and a half the child is going through the oral sensory stage. Freud’s theory of development is psychosexual. He proposed three stages in psychosexual development: oral, anal, phallic. Piaget’s theory was called cognitive development or the sensorimotor stage. The first two years of an infant, they grow taller, gain weight and increase in head circumference, all indicates of development. The birthweight doubles by the fourth month, and also triples by the first year mark, and by the time you hit the second year of the child’s life you have quadrupled in weight. As the time goes on with all this growing, sleep also decreases over the first two years. With the areas that are developing, there comes crazy sleeping patterns but it’s all normal, caused by nature and nurture. Biosocial Development covers the growth and developments that take place in the body, as well as the biological, social, cultural, and environmental elements affecting this growth and development. During the first 2 years of life, biosocial development occurs at a very fast pace. When a child is born the head is really the heaviest and biggest part of the body. Baby fat is stored...
Words: 1444 - Pages: 6
...The basic definition of the word criminal is someone who commits offending behaviour within society (Harrower, 2001). The crime may range from petty theft to murder. Criminals are born not made is the discussion of this essay, it will explore the theories that attempt to explain criminal behaviour. Psychologists have come up with various theories and reasons as to why individuals commit crimes. These theories represent part of the classic psychological debate, nature versus nurture. Are individuals predisposed to becoming a criminal or are they made through their environment. There are various theories within the biological explanation as to why individuals commit criminal behaviour, these include: genetic theory, hereditary theory, psychosis and brain injury theory. In the next few paragraphs examples of each will be shown. The first theory to be explored is the hereditary theory, which stems from Cesare Lombroso (1876) father of criminology, (Feldman, 1993) whose studies were carried out by morphology. Lombroso tried to show a relationship between criminal behaviour and physical characteristics. Lombrosco suggested that an individual was predisposed to becoming a criminal, as a result of internal or innate characteristics, rather than environmental factors. Lombroso observed both criminals and non- criminals by their physical abnormalities, such as physical measurements and examinations. He concluded that most prisoners show the same physical abnormalities, which...
Words: 2214 - Pages: 9
...Joseph Jackson was born August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009 was an American singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer, and actor. Called the king of pop his contributions to music and dance, along with his publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades. Michael Jackson has his own websites so his fans could check out his songs and updates also honour his music. Michael Jackson did his autobiography in a book and was published in February 1 in 1988. Five months after the release of Jackson’s 1987 Bad album, and named after Jackson’s signature dance move, the moonwalk. Michael Jackson was 58 when he died. Dubbed the "King of Pop," singer-songwriter Michael Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana. As a child, he performed as the lead singer of the Jackson family's popular Motown group, the Jackson 5. No single artist – indeed, no movement or force – has eclipsed what Michael Jackson accomplished in the first years of his adult solo career. Jackson changed the balance in the pop world in a way that nobody has since. He forced rock & roll and the mainstream press to acknowledge that the biggest pop star in the world could be young and black, and in doing so he broke down more barriers than anybody. But he is also among the best proofs in living memory of poet William Carlos Williams' famous verse: "The pure products of America/go crazy." When Jackson died on June 25th, 2009, of apparent cardiac arrest in Los Angeles at age 50, the outpouring...
Words: 16963 - Pages: 68
...representative of what your actual paper will look like (2 x 4 mark questions and 1 x 12 mark essay question. Older papers (June 2006-June 2009) used to have Psychology and Science as a separate section so there are a lot of past paper questions on this particular debate. Now they are combined and you would be asked a mixture of questions from across different debates. Print off the copy of this document without the answers and use this to mark them and give yourselves targets for improvement. Specimen Paper Outline what is meant by hypothesis testing and explain the role of hypothesis testing in scientific research. (4 marks) [AO3 = 4] Up to 2 marks for definition/outline of what is meant by hypothesis testing, eg a hypothesis is a testable, predictive statement/proposition specifying the relationships between events or variables. Two further marks for explanation of the role of hypothesis testing in research, eg theories need to be tested by empirical studies, hypothesis testing allows researchers to refute or support a theory, the degree of support determines confidence in a theory. Credit references to the null hypothesis and falsification of a theory 0 8 Explain what is meant by the nature-nurture debate in psychology. (4 marks) [AOl = 2, AO2 = 2] AOl One mark for outlining the term nature; genes, innate or inherited factors. One mark for outlining the term nurture; environment, experience. AO2 Marks to be awarded for explaining the debate; a controversy...
Words: 5995 - Pages: 24
...AP Psychology Essay Prompts and Scoring Rubrics The enclosed document includes an essay prompt for each unit in AP Psychology and a corresponding scoring rubric. The purpose of this activity is to increase the students’ awareness of how AP exam readers grade from a rubric. Emphasis is placed on the definition of terms and the application of those terms. Units include: Introduction to Psychology Psychobiology Sensation and Perception Memory Learning Nature and Nurture of Behavior Developing Person Thinking, Language, and Intelligence States of Consciousness Motivation and Emotion Personality Stress and Health Psychological Disorders Therapy Social Psychology Unit: Introduction to Psychology Describe the different perspectives from which psychologists examine behavior and mental processes, and explain their complementarity. Your answer should include: ➢ Neuroscience ➢ Evolutionary ➢ Behavior Genetics ➢ Psychodynamic ➢ Behavioral ➢ Cognitive ➢ Social-cultural Rubrics Note: The application portion on the rubrics may include a variety of answers. This is simply an example of possible answers. The perspectives have more than one complement. |Term |Definition |Application ...
Words: 3255 - Pages: 14
