Kristin Mason
PSY 215-91
Assignment 1

While scientists argue with psychologist about things that become a factor in human life and development, things happen every day that shape a person. The theory of Nature v. Nurture has always been the biggest argument they have been involved in. Nature is the process of an organism that guides it to develop according to its genetic code. Nurture is the environmental factors that influence the development. Another theory is continuity v. discontinuity where the argument is that human development is a continuous process where learning happens gradually or when biological changes had an effect on psychological changes, where biological changes were the basis for personality development. The third and final theory is active v. passive; where children are seen as active even mischievous and wanting to learn compared to passive beings having to be motivated to learn from instructors.
I do not believe that nature or nurture play a bigger role than the other in human development. One would think that I should have brown hair and brown eyes by nature because my parents both have the dominant gene but I received the recessive gene and have blue eyes and blond hair. I believe I got my physical features from my uncle (mom’s brother) and my grandmother (mom’s mother), both have blue eyes and both had light hair when they were younger. I often feel like I am the odd ball from my family or as my dad says “the mailman’s daughter”. My mother always argues this and points out how much my attitude reflects his. I am often told that I look like mother when I am with her but then other times when I am with my father people comment on how much I look like him.
I am a very emotional person, I will cry if people just talk about it to me, I am so sincere when it comes to others; I am usually the one people come to for advice and I get that