...into the Nature vs. Nurture theories. Being that do we inherit traits from our biological parents or does the environments in which we are raised contribute to how we turn out as adults. Sometimes it seems that that there is no black or white answer to the age-old question of what contributes to human behavior, personality, and psychopathology. There are common traits within biological parents that children can pick up but it seems that in some cases, children can be adaptive to their environment. So we shall examine this curiosity that takes us into finding out whether we are genetically inherit to some of the biological traits of our parents or if living in certain environments develop our social well being. There have been studies into schizophrenia and the genetic traits that may be passed on to the children. The study was conducted to observe children who had biological parents who suffered from schizophrenia and their adoptive parents showed no signs of the illness. The study was also conducted on children from biological parents who showed no signs of schizophrenia adopted by a parent who later showed signs or family history of the illness. The research showed that although there is no definitive answer for what causes schizophrenia, children whose biological parents that suffered from schizophrenia had a higher recidivism rate for contracting the disease. “This study also showed that the adoptees whose biological parents suffered from schizophrenia had a higher...
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...2014 Nature vs Nurture The nature vs nurture debate has been a raging topic for decades now. It has caused much controversy in justifying human characteristics, especially concerning the defense of criminal behavior. Many people believe that our actions and conduct comes from the genes we possess, and that we are born with a higher likelihood to act in certain ways. Others believe that our behavior is a result of our childhood, and how we are brought up. Extensive research has been done on the nature vs nurture debate. Although both nature and nurture ultimately affect one’s behavioral characteristics, it seems nurture has a much greater impact. So, is our behavior affected by our heredity and genes, or by the environment we grow up in? What is nature? “Nature is your genes. The physical and personality traits determined by your genes stay the same irrespective of where you were born and raised” ("Nature vs Nurture." Diffen.com. Diffen LLC, n.d. Web. 3 Dec 2014). Taking in the consideration of I.Q., studies prove that genetics has a great effect. Adopted siblings have no more similar of an I.Q. than strangers, while blood related siblings have an I.Q. correlation of .6. Twins especially, having an I.Q. correlation of .86 (Nancy,L. Same-Age Unrelated Siblings: A Unique Test of Within-Family Environmental Influences on IQ Similarity. Journal of Educational Psychology. 1997 June; 89(2): 381-390.) DeNoto, 1 Nature vs Nurture The nature vs nurture debate...
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...Topic: “Understanding Schizophrenia as a mental disorder” Specific Description: A presentation of the literature about Schizophrenia as a mental disorder and the relationship between nature and nurture in this disease. Intended Areas of Focus: • Introduction – Introduce Schizophrenia as a mental disorder and describe some facts about this disorder. Also present a clarify definition about this disorder along with a thesis statement. The statement will include the different aspects of Schizophrenia and the relationship between genetics and environment. • An explanation about Schizophrenia and include diagnostic criteria from the DSM-IV TR. • Described symptoms and diagnosis of Schizophrenia. • Incorporate the relationship between genetics and environment as risk factors in this disease. • Present the statistics in the general population that include gender and age in Schizophrenia. • Discuss the types of treatments for this disease and how effective they are. • Conclusion – Summarize my thesis statement and summary of the information presented in the introduction and body. Discuss the understanding of Schizophrenia as a mental disorder. Described the importance of nature vs nurture in this disease. Results of Preliminary Literature Search 1. Candela, Steven F., and Theo C. Manschreck. "NSS In Schizophrenia." Psychiatric Annals 33.3 (2003): 157-166. Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition. Web. 29 June 2015. 2. Fawcett, Jan. "Syndromes And Disorders...
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... Psy/240 Dr. Elizabeth Kindell Biopsychology is the study of the central nervous system and how it affects mental health or illness. In this paper I will discuss the psychological disorder known as Schizophrenia. I will evaluate the brain areas that are affected by this disorder, some of the possible casual factors, the characteristics symptoms, the neural basis and the drug treatment that works. The case studies I have chosen to review are Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Anorexia Nervosa, the eating disorder. I will use the nature vs. nurture theories to analyze these two disorders. I will also discuss the accepted drug therapies and alternative treatment for these two disorders. Part A: Schizophrenia Schizophrenia is known as a “splitting of psychic functions” (Pinel 2001, pg. 467). It is a chronic brain disorder that affects close to 2.5 million Americans and more than 24 million people worldwide. Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that makes it hard for the person suffering to tell the difference between what is real and not real. They have a difficult time having normal emotional responses and acting normally in social situations. A person that has Schizophrenia has a significant loss of brain gray matter. Neuroscientist have detected up to 25% loss of brain gray matter in some areas of the brain. This kind of damage started in the parietal, or outer, regions of the brain but spreads to the rest of the brain...
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...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...
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...preparedness theory-develop phobia bc they are scary/have scared us-adaptive, psychological factors, how people experience panic disorder initially, basics of OCD and PTSD , specific phobia, social phobia Mood: what is a mood disorder? mood disturbances pre-dominant features, dysthmia- less severe depressive symptoms (timespan of dysthymia vs. MDD) most days for 2 yrs vs. not as long (weeks), helplessness theory (how might these individuals think?) depressed people- automatically attribute negative experiences to internals stable and global causes, bipolar (basics)- unstable moods, most common antidepressant- SSRI: least amount of side effects Suicide: What are common ‘warning signs’ we discussed? upturn in mood, severe stressor, "feeling trapped", giving away possessions, substance abbuse Schizophrenia: What is schizophrenia? profound disruption of basic psychological processes, distorted perception of reality, altered or blunted emotion, disturbances in thought/motivation/behavior, negative vs. positive symptoms (i.e., which one is a hallucination), catatonic/paranoid/residual subtypes(basics), know what an antipsychotic does-treats schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, also made deinstitutionalize possible Personality Disorders: Know BASICS of major arguments against their current structure, basics of histrionic, narcissistic, borderline, paranoid, antisocial Misc: herbal remedies (what research has been done?) no one can disprove...
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...Personal Reflection While being in AP Psychology I have realized many different things about the brain and how people's lives can be very affected by different disorders. We have discussed serious mental disorders that people are unwillingly faced with. From people having a simple anxiety disorder to someone suffering with schizophrenia, the brain has the ability to do incredible, yet devastating things. Throughout my experience in the class, it has influenced the ways that I see many different things. I am very lucky not to have a life changing psychological disorder. This has also influenced my possible career path. I feel as if it would be great to work with people that have these serious disorder on hope to help them. Although...
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...Phoenix Axia College Part A Schizophrenia is a disease that affects the forebrain, hindbrain, and limbic system. The forebrain is the anterior and largest part of the brain. This part of the brain functions to control sensory, and motor function, cognitive function, reproductive function, eating, sleeping, emotion display, and helps to regulate temperature. The hindbrain is the part of the brain that helps to coordinate posture, motor activity, balance, and sleep patterns, and helps to regulate essential but unconscious functions like breathing, and blood circulation. The limbic system is essential in the regulation of motor activity and emotional expression. Schizophrenia has a strong genetic component. Patients, who have an immediate family member such as a parent or sibling, have a higher chance of developing schizophrenia. Other factors that have been believed to contribute to schizophrenia, like high levels of stress during pregnancy, traumatic injury, toxins, infections, and autoimmune reactions. Symptoms of schizophrenia include: * Bizarre delusions- delusions of being controlled by an outside source * Inappropriate- failure to react appropriately to emotional events. * Hallucinations-imaginary voices controlling behavior. * Incoherent thoughts-illogical thinking or peculiar ideas. * Odd behavior-talking in rhymes, long periods of not moving or catatonia The neural basis of schizophrenia is that in normal patients the brain...
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...Heredity and Hormones BEH/225 April 12, 2011 Heredity and Hormones Human behavior can be affected by many things. Human behavior though is more influenced by hormones than heredity. Genes do not directly cause behavior. Genes do affect the development and operation of the nervous system and the endocrine system which influence the likelihood of certain behavior (Morris & Maisto, 2002). Nature vs. Nurture means that scientists think that people behave as they do according to genetic predispositions (nature). Other scientists believe that people behave or think a certain way because they were taught to be that way (nurture). Scientists believe that DNA plays a part in human behaviors, and this debate continues (Powell, 2010). The endocrine system is made up of endocrine glands that produce hormones. Hormones are also involved in regulating the emotional life. Hormones organize the nervous system and body tissues plus they have a dramatic effect on mood (Morris & Maisto, 2002). The endocrine glands are located throughout the body. Thyroid gland is located just below the voice box and it produces Thyroxin, which regulates the body’s metabolism rate. Too much or too little can affect how a person feels and behaves. The thyroid contains four tiny organs that control the calcium and phosphate within the body and can influence levels of excitability (Morris & Maisto, 2002). Melatonin is secreted by the pineal gland. Melatonin regulates the sleep-wake...
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...The debate on Nature vs. Nurture raises the question of whether human behavior is developed naturally within our DNA, or learned in our surrounding environment in which we are brought up. This unresolved question has been discussed and debated since the late 19th century. Philosophers like John Locke and Aristotle favored the idea that the human mind begins as a ‘blank slate’ and it is experiences, guidance, and your perception that shapes who you are (nurture). While others, such as, Plato and Emanuel Kant believed our behavior and personality is by nature; embedded in and decided by our DNA and genotype. After analyzing both sides of the spectrum and my personal experiences, I believe both to be factors, Nurture is more significant in affecting...
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...different domain of information that may help the clinician plan treatment and possibly predict the outcome (Association, 2000). The five axes included in the DSM-IV multi-axial classification are as listed: * Axis I: Clinical Disorders and Other Conditions That Need Clinical Attention. * Axis II: Personality Disorders and Mental Retardation. * Axis III: General Medical Conditions. * Axis IV: Psychosocial and Environmental Problems * Axis V: Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF). As stated in the DSM-IV-TR “the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale is a 100-point scale that measures a person’s overall level of psychological, social, and occupational functioning on a continuum” (Association, 2000). Schizophrenia is a chronic, disabling mental illness characterized by a wide range of symptoms, including: abnormal thinking, loss of contact with reality, and hallucinations. This illness usually starts in late adolescence or early adulthood,...
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...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 ...
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...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 within psychology that is concerned with the extent to which particular aspects of a behaviour are a product of either acquired or inherited characteristics. A further mark for an expansion. Most likely expansions will be...
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...Behaviourist approach The behaviourist theory focuses on the study of observed behaviours and learning theories the three theories are; classical conditioning, operant conditioning and the social learning theory. Within the behaviourist approach there are three different theorists these are; Skinner, Bandura and Pavlov. The first learning theory was approached by the theorist Pavlov. The theory he approached was classical conditioning. This theory is pairing a reflex response with a stimuli. A reflex is an automatic reaction and a stimuli is anything in the environment. Pavlov then carried out an experiment with a dog to prove his theory; Pavlov knew that when animals see food they’re automatic reflex is to salivate, he also wanted to create a noise which the dog could respond to. An example of his experiment; Dog food salivate (reflex) Dog bell food salivate Dog bell salivate This experiment shows that when a dog hears the bell they know they are going to receive food making their automatic reaction to salivate activate. The second learning theory was approached by Skinner. The theory he approached was Operant conditioning. This theory is the reactions of others such as ‘shape’ behaviour. This theory has 3 different approaches these are; positive reinforcement, punishment and negative reinforcement. The first one is Positive reinforcement this encourages behaviour this could be using...
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...Behaviourist approach The behaviourist theory focuses on the study of observed behaviours and learning theories the three theories are; classical conditioning, operant conditioning and the social learning theory. Within the behaviourist approach there are three different theorists these are; Skinner, Bandura and Pavlov. The first learning theory was approached by the theorist Pavlov. The theory he approached was classical conditioning. This theory is pairing a reflex response with a stimuli. A reflex is an automatic reaction and a stimuli is anything in the environment. Pavlov then carried out an experiment with a dog to prove his theory; Pavlov knew that when animals see food they’re automatic reflex is to salivate, he also wanted to create a noise which the dog could respond to. An example of his experiment; Dog food salivate (reflex) Dog bell food salivate Dog bell salivate This experiment shows that when a dog hears the bell they know they are going to receive food making their automatic reaction to salivate activate. The second learning theory was approached by Skinner. The theory he approached was Operant conditioning. This theory is the reactions of others such as ‘shape’ behaviour. This theory has 3 different approaches these are; positive reinforcement, punishment and negative reinforcement. The first one is Positive reinforcement this encourages behaviour this could be using...
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