11. ISSUES & DEBATES (THE NATURE-NURTURE DEBATE)) COPY Flashcards
What is the Nature side of the Nature-Nurture Debate?
Nature is the view that behaviour is the product of innate biological or genetic factors. Heredity, the process of passing down traits from one generation to the next, plays a major role in shaping behaviour. Psychological disorders like schizophrenia are thought to have a genetic component.
What is Nurture in the Nature-Nurture Debate?
Nurture is the view that behaviour is learned from the environment and experiences. It includes influences such as people, events, and the physical world. This view aligns with environmental determinism, where behaviour is shaped by external factors.
What is the Interactionist Approach in the Nature-Nurture Debate?
The Interactionist Approach argues that both nature (genetics) and nurture (environment) work together to shape behaviour. For example, intelligence may be genetically predisposed, but environmental factors like diet and education can influence how that potential is reached.
What is Plomin’s (1994) critique regarding the genetic explanation of behaviour?
Plomin criticized the ‘one gene, one disorder’ approach for being too reductionist. He argued that focusing on a single gene might underestimate genetic influences. Instead, Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) research looks at multiple genes interacting, which could have a greater impact on behaviour.
How does the Interactionist Approach explain schizophrenia?
The Diathesis-Stress Model explains schizophrenia through an interaction of genetic vulnerability (diathesis) and environmental triggers (stress). Both are necessary for the onset of schizophrenia, showing how genetics and environment contribute to mental health disorders.
What is Bowlby’s view on attachment in the Nature-Nurture Debate?
Bowlby proposed that children are biologically programmed to form attachments because it is essential for survival. This suggests that attachment behaviours are genetically inherited (nature), emphasizing the role of nature in human development.
How do behaviourists explain attachment in terms of nurture?
Behaviourists explain attachment through classical conditioning. For example, a child forms an attachment to the mother because she is associated with the pleasure of being fed, which is learned through experience (nurture).
How does the evolutionary theory of mate preference reflect the nature side of the debate?
The evolutionary theory suggests that mate preference is influenced by biological factors such as the need to secure an evolutionary advantage. Research by Buss et al. shows that across cultures, men and women have similar preferences for mates, supporting the idea that nature plays a key role.
How does addiction support the Interactionist approach?
Addiction can be explained by genetic vulnerability (nature) and environmental factors such as family influence, peers, and stress (nurture). This suggests that an interactionist perspective provides a more comprehensive explanation of addictive behaviour.
What is a limitation of taking a purely nature view of behaviour?
A limitation is that nurture affects nature. For example, research on neural plasticity shows that life experiences, such as those of London taxi drivers, can shape the brain. This demonstrates that nurture can influence biological factors, suggesting a more integrated approach is needed.
What does constructivism argue in the Nature-Nurture debate?
Constructivism suggests that individuals actively select environments that suit their genetic predispositions. For example, an aggressive child may gravitate towards environments where aggression is common, showing that nature and nurture interact.
What is a limitation of twin studies in explaining the Nature-Nurture debate?
Twin studies often cannot fully separate the effects of nature and nurture. For example, MZ twins are treated more similarly than DZ twins, meaning environmental factors could play a bigger role than genetic factors. This emphasizes the need for an interactionist approach.
How does epigenetics challenge the Nature-Nurture debate?
Epigenetics shows that environmental factors (such as nutrition and stress) can affect gene expression, influencing behaviour without changing the genetic code. This highlights the interaction between nature and nurture, as the environment can influence the biological factors.
What are some implications of taking an extreme nature or nurture view?
Extreme nature views, like genetic determinism, have led to controversies such as eugenics and racial stereotypes. Extreme nurture views, like behaviourism, could lead to social control, where a state manipulates behaviour through reinforcement. Both views ignore the interaction between nature and nurture.
